Domaine Michel Lafarge Bourgogne 2022

Michel Lafarge is often called the "Grand Old Man of Volnay" — a domaine whose roots trace back to before the French Revolution, with Marie Gillotte's marriage to Henri Lafarge in the early 19th century founding the family's presence in the village. Three generations of Lafarges have served as Mayor of Volnay, and it was Henri who bottled the estate's first wines in 1934; Michel joined his father in 1949, and his son Frédéric — alongside wife Chantal and, since 2018, their daughter Clothilde — continues the family's quiet stewardship today. Alongside fellow Volnay legends Jacques d'Angerville, Hubert de Montille, and Gérard Potel, the Lafarges helped pioneer both domaine-bottling in the 1930s and biodynamic conversion in the 1990s — after a blind tasting organised by Anne-Claude Leflaive convinced Michel and Frédéric that biodynamically farmed wine from the same vineyard was simply superior, they began the full conversion in 1997, completing it by 2000. This Bourgogne Rouge is blended from several old-vine parcels at the foot of the Volnay hill, destemmed by hand in the Lafarge style, aged predominantly in used barrels with the family's signature "racking with aeration."

The result consistently punches well above its humble classification — Burghound has rated it "Outstanding," calling out its elegant red berry fruit, newly-turned earth, and spice, with "really lovely texture" and excellent length. Wine Advocate has described it as "quite Volnay-like in style," with vivid red cherry, raspberry, and light bergamot carrying an impressively grippy, sumptuous finish — unsurprising, given the vines sit right against the Volnay appellation boundary itself.