Wine Advisor
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu 2011
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2011 Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu 1er Cru has a very well defined bouquet with ebullient redcurrant and crushed strawberry scents, hints of blueberry following just behind. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe tannin. The oak feels a little strong on the second half, quite savory and meaty in style with a pinch of spice towards the finish. This might be moving into its secondary stage and can be drank now and over the next decade. Tasted at Flint Wines Burgundy 2011 tasting.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good bright medium red. The most complex and complete of these 2011s on the nose, offering scents of black cherry, menthol, wild herbs and sexy underbrush; sappy and ripe but with noteworthy medicinal reserve. Silky on entry, then thick, bright and highly concentrated, with the violet and licorice lift and firm spine of acidity of a top Cote de Nuits wine. Lovely focus and dark fruit intensity here. Finishes bright and long, with serious but fine-grained tannins. This should age beautifully.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(from a crop level around 30 hectoliters per hectare, according to Lafon): Good bright, deep red. Deeply pitched, slightly reduced aromas of black raspberry, flowers and wild herbs. Sappy, layered and deep, with a musky quality to the palate-staining flavors of black raspberry and licorice. Offers a lovely balance of density and lift. Finishes broad and long, with superb fine-grained tannins. One-third new oak here.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Volnay 1er Cru les Santenots 2011 from Comtes-Lafon has an agreeable bouquet with red cherries, raspberry and dried flowers, hints of lavender and rosemary developing with time. The palate is nicely balanced with fine tannins and well-judged acidity. It is a more feminine and lighter style of Volnay, but balanced, dovetailing into a rather conservative but fresh finish. This is a composed and refined showing.
About the Producer
Domaine des Comtes Lafon is a renowned wine estate located in the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, France. The domain has been in the Lafon family's possession since the late 19th century, with Dominique Lafon leading the estate's operations since the 1980s. Domaine des Comtes Lafon is particularly renowned for its exceptional Chardonnay wines, which are produced from the domain's esteemed vineyards in Meursault, Volnay, and Monthélie. The estate's winemaking approach emphasizes minimal intervention, allowing the terroir to shine through in the wines. Domaine des Comtes Lafon is recognized as one of the top producers in the Mâconnais, known for its focus on quality, elegance, and minerality.
