2012 - Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes

A solitary 350-litre used barrel instead of the usual three, the 2012 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes has a lifted pure nose of brambly red fruit and wild hedgerow that is vibrant and vivacious. The palate is crisp and fresh with taut and tensile tannins, well-judged acidity, leading to a surprisingly dense finish that contains some gravitas. Readers should not that this will only be bottled in magnums and I suspect that it will age magnificently over a decade or more.