2018 Meursault Village

Frédéric Lafarge and his daughter Clothilde greeted me at their winery ensconced down one of Volnay's arteries, no doubt the indefatigable nonagenarian Michel Lafarge, out in the vineyard ploughing by hand. Down in their 13th century cellar lacquered in black mold, I tasted through their entire range from the Côte d'Or plus their quintet of Beaujolais wines. "The 2018 vintage was an ideal season," Frédéric enthused. "It was warm and dry. The vines' [vegetative] cycle was very regular with rain just when we wanted it. We began picking on 1 September with hardly any sorting necessary, finishing on 13 September except for the Volnay Vendage Sélectionée that was picked on 23 September. The 2018s have enormous potential, but they are accessible. What I like is that each terroir is very expressive. The reds will be bottled in April next year."