2016 Domaine Michel Lafarge, Volnay Premier Cru, Les Mitans

The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Mitans has a more mineral-driven bouquet than the Pitures, more aloof and distant at the moment but just as complex. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a gentle grip in the mouth, the tannins becoming just a little robust toward the finish, suggesting that it will deserve 5 or 6 years in the cellar. The mouth tingles with the chalky aftertaste long after it has departed. This is a brilliant follow-up to the 2015 last year and just as good.

(just 12 hectoliters per hectare produced here): Good medium red. Reserved nose hints at medicinal dark cherry. In a tighter style than the preceding samples and distinctly less relaxed. Here the dense tannins arrive early, cutting off the fruit. With limited sweetness to its fruit, the finish turns a bit dusty. This premier cru will require patience, but will it ever become truly pliant?

Meaty nose and round, charming texture with violet perfume. Very engaging and typically Volnay with its relatively light body and perfume. Firm finish promises well for the future. Long. (JR)