It’s woefully inadequate to label Domaine Michel Lafarge a mere “traditionalist” or “old guard” producer—this man is the living and breathing embodiment of classic Burgundy. The Lafarge family has been producing elite wines, continuously, for centuries. Still, Michel Lafarge is generally credited with delivering the family a place alongside the most historic names in the region. During the second half of the last century, while the empty promise of chemical fertilizers and herbicides began broadly destroying Burgundy’s natural bounty, Lafarge knew better and stood steadfast in maintaining his family’s age-old organic farming practices. While biodynamic farming is commonplace in Burgundy today, Michel Lafarge was an early adopter, becoming the region’s first elite vigneron to adopt biodynamic farming practices in the early 1990s. Over the last 20 years, as riper, more heavily oaked reds from the region charmed the American wine press and became the region’s modern gold standard, Lafarge and his son, Frédéric, doubled down on the family’s deeply savory and detailed ancestral style, producing some of the most gracefully evolving and long-lived wines of the era. For all these reasons and many more, Lafarge is an icon—but let’s not forget this iconic vineyard.

For reasons I’ll never fully understand, let alone agree with, the village of Volnay has not been awarded any Grand Crus. Still, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Clos du Château des Ducs, a tiny, .57-hectare monopole owned entirely by the Lafarge family, absolutely deserves the honor. This breathtaking and historic site is wedged just below the village of Volnay and above “Clos de la Chapelle” and “Clos de la Bousse d’Or.” As implied by its name, the Clos du Château des Ducs is planted on the site of the Château de Volnay, home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the 1200s onward. Fire claimed the palace in the 1700s, but the ancient vineyards—as well as the original subterranean network of cellars—are now owned by the Lafarge Family. This site is of immense import to the history of Volnay and its wines. It is the oldest of the Lafarge family’s parcels in Volnay, and the first one planted following WWII in 1946. The southeast-facing, walled vineyard sits at 900 feet elevation and is comprised of middle Oxfordian Jurassic limestone, gravel, and clay. Farmed biodynamically, but also weeded and fertilized daily by Lafarge’s famous flock of chickens, this is a vineyard revered for producing superlative Volnay. Especially in the warm and generous 2009 vintage, I can think of few more stunning expressions of this timeless village.

Lafarge’s 2009 Volnay “Clos du Château des Ducs” has a highly reflective ruby core moving to light garnet reflections on the rim with orange hues. This wine is a deep, enveloping tapestry of perfumed black cherry, black currants, violets, Chinese mushroom, wet stone and the faintest whisper of mature French oak. On the palate, this is classic Lafarge: expertly balanced feminine rusticity and an infinite finish of red fruit, dried flowers, and wet foundation stone. This wine is gorgeous now but even after 8 years, it is still in its youth. Many card-carrying Lafarge collectors are only just-now breaking into the 1990s releases, so you can rest assured that any of these bottles you choose to cellar (and I encourage you to do just that) will enjoy a long and flattering evolution. For those who wish to seize the day and open this historic bottle immediately, I recommend decanting for 2-3 hours and serving in large Burgundy stems at 55 degrees. The wine’s cascading tannin layers and savory fruit will pair perfectly with a crispy, fat-laced duck breast. This wine will evolve continuously for days, so take your time with it. I hoarded the final glass from last night’s bottle and am looking forward very much to an early lunch! Cheers.