2018 Beaune Rouge, Clos des Aigrots, 1er Cru, Domaine Michel Lafarge, Burgundy

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating and, at times, infuriating wine grape in the world. However, when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape, which grows in small, tight bunches, performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone-based subsoils. It is more susceptible than other varieties to overcropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive, and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Following the sad passing of Michel in January 2020, his son Frédéric and granddaughter Clothilde maintain his legacy – producing some of the greatest wines in Volnay. There’s nothing modern in the winemaking at Domaine Michel Lafarge, though the meticulous care for their biodynamically farmed vineyards puts them at the forefront of viticultural practices. In the vineyard Vineyard work is usually assisted by the estate’s hens, who eat up any lurking pests. In ’14, Frédéric and Chantal (maiden name Vial) Lafarge decided to buy some Beaujolais vineyards, starting in Fleurie before expanding into Chiroubles and the Côte de Brouilly. The vineyards had all previously been run organically, and that continues under the Lafarge-Vial stewardship – along with biodynamic treatments. In the winery The grapes are destemmed and vinified traditionally; very little new oak is used in the cellar.