2023 Domaine Michel Lafarge, Volnay Premier Cru, Les Mitans

The 2023 Volnay Les Mitans 1er Cru is aged in 15% new oak. It has a cohesive bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry and crushed iris flower scents. It gains intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red and black fruit. Quite compact on the mid-palate, it offers orange rind and sour cherries on the finish. Drink this over the next 15 years.

The 2023 Volnay 1er Cru Mitans opens in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, cherries and dark chocolate, mingled with subtle suggestions of grilled meats and leather. Medium-bodied, soft and open-knit, with sweet, powdery tannins and a carnal finish, it's less structured than is often the case.

Cask sample. Mid ruby. Deep red cherries on the nose with floral rose. Elegant and mid weight, with medium body but quite a firm tannic charge. Not aggressive but early days. Spicy finish. (MH)