DOMAINE MICHEL LAFARGE VOLNAY 1ER CRU 'CLOS DU CHATEAU DES DUCS' MONOPOLE 2022

Domaine Michel Lafarge, led by Frédéric Lafarge and now joined by his daughter Clothilde, produces consistently exceptional wines in the Côte de Beaune. One of Burgundy's pioneering biodynamic estates (Demeter certified since 2000), their meticulous approach includes labor-intensive traditional methods like hand destemming and muscle-powered basket pressing. This dedication to ancestral techniques yields wines with remarkable clarity, acidity, and minerality. Their modest ten-hectare holding allows them the flexibility to harvest at perfect ripeness, especially crucial during increasingly unpredictable weather patterns that challenge Burgundy's vineyards.

The Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs is a true Monopole located in the Lafarge family's own garden—a walled enclosure at 290 meters elevation with southeast exposure. These protective walls create a microclimate that makes this site one of the warmest in their holdings and often among the first to be harvested. Vines planted between 1946 and 2000 benefit from deep, brown clay soils with excellent drainage provided by a 25-centimeter gravel layer beneath. After indigenous fermentation and 18 months in older barrels, this unfiltered wine displays wonderfully spicy aromas with floral notes of red currant, cherry, and lavender. The palate offers chiseled precision, refined minerality, and a remarkably persistent finish that continues to develop complexity with 7-8 years of aging.