2006 Volnay

Palish red. Red cherry and spices on the nose. Not deep but pretty and fresh, with firm acids giving the palate a juicy quality and a slight leanness. Finishes tangy and firm, with dusty tannins.

Unusually white wine- almost Gruner Veltliner-like overtones of cress and citrus oil mingle with scents of ripe cherry and brown spices in the nose of Lafarge's 2006 Volnay. Bright, sappy concentration of fruit accented by pungent spice and zest as well as bitter cherry pit and tart fruit skin lead to an invigorating finish that nicely integrates suggestions of marzipan and vanilla into a delightfully dynamic interplay. This personification of Pinot purity and vivacity should remain a charmer anytime over at least the next half dozen years. ||Frederic and Michel Lafarge are consistently adept in challenging vintages, and succeeded admirably in 2006, harvesting from September 20 until the end of that month. To hear them tell (as well as to taste the results) their fruit was largely healthy, and sorting was principally to remove under-ripe berries and clusters. Not surprisingly, they chalk this up to vine management. "Biodynamic treatments permit the vine to overcome the stress of weather extremes," such as characterized 2006, asserts Frederic Lafarge. Michel Lafarge points out that the same – to his mind ideal – 12.5-13+% potential alcohol was reached over the same period in premier cru and non-cru sites alike, a phenomenon due in part, he believes, to his estate's high average age of vine.||A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers), fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70 Wine Advocate.December, 2009