1996 Volnay Village

Father and son team Michel and Frederic Lafarge harvested fruit with high sugars but rather low acidity in '97. "We had to pick quickly to avoid surmaturite " noted Frederic, who added that very little chaptalization or acidification was done: "You have to trust the natural balance of the grapes." The malolactic fermentations finished early, and the wines had just been racked for the second time prior to my November visit. (In contrast, the '96 malos finished quite late, and the earlier set of wines wasn't racked for the first time until September of '97.) "Like 1992, but with more power and structure," is the way the Lafarges describe their '97s. (A Becky Wasserman Selection; importers include Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY; The Country Vintner, Richmond, VA; and Esquin Imports, San Francisco, CA)

Lafarge had very reasonable yields in '96 (roughly 32 hectoliters per hectare in the premier cru vines and about 38 in his village holdings, thanks to strict pruning) and did a slightly longer cuvaison than usual. He describes his '96s as fruity and generous, with very good balance and plenty of aging potential. In contrast, he says, the '95s are more powerful and perhaps more classic, but the tannins are beginning to close the wines down. (A Becky Wasserman Selection; importers include Martin-Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY; The Country Vintner, Richmond, VA; and Esquin Imports, San Francisco, CA)