1999 Domaine des Comtés Lafon Volnay Santenots du Milieu 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
Dark crimson. Clean nose and concentrated and rather old-style red burgundy but nothing wrong with that! Rich and sweet. It opened out in the glass rather impressively. More extraction than the wines being made today. Solid. Quite a contrast to the 2010 but everything is in the right place for current enjoyment. (JR)
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Very healthy dark color with just a hint of browning at the edge. Expressive aromas of black cherry, dark berries and chocolate. Seriously sweet and thick but in a distinctly powerful style, conveying a medicinal quality to its very ripe plum, dark cherry and mint flavors. The big tannins saturate the mouth and teeth. There's certainly no rush to drink this--and give it some time in a decanter if you decide to try it soon. "This was a time when we made very dense wines," said Dominique Lafon. "There wasn't an understanding of elegant wines in Burgundy then. And there was also more extraction." He went on: "This wine does not have the same tannins as the 2015 and 2016. In 1999 we punched down the cap every day, but in recent vintages we're only doing a total of three pigeages ."
Magnum. Extremely lively and youthful with bitter cherry fruit, grainy texture, admirable tension still, and amazing persistence. All still to play for in magnum format. Chapeau! (JR)