Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu 2016 - Domaine des Comtes Lafon

Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-du-Milieu 2016 — Domaine des Comtes Lafon

This Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-du-Milieu 2016 from Domaine des Comtes Lafon expresses one of the most renowned, fleshy and refined terroirs of the Volnay appellation. Located in the Santenots sector, within the commune of Meursault but classified as Volnay for red wines, this climat gives a Pinot Noir of great seduction, at once broad, silky and profoundly Burgundian: red cherry, Morello cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry, plum, rose, violet, fine spices, liquorice, fresh earth, light forest floor and a long mineral finish.

Domaine des Comtes Lafon is one of the great references of the Côte de Beaune, recognised worldwide for its Meursaults, but also a producer of red wines of remarkable finesse. Santenots-du-Milieu holds a special place in the domaine’s range: a Volnay of flesh, texture and elegance, often broader and more enveloping than the village’s most ethereal crus. The 2016 vintage brings freshness, precision, tension and a very pure expression of Pinot Noir.

Terroir: Santenots-du-Milieu, flesh and nobility in Volnay

The Santenots-du-Milieu climat lies within the Santenots sector, on soils renowned for producing red wines of great breadth and particularly silky texture. Although the vines are administratively located in Meursault, red wines from this terroir carry the Volnay Premier Cru appellation. This singularity gives wines with a highly sought-after profile: the sensuality of Volnay combined with earthier depth and fine palate density.

The clay-limestone soils, often rich in stony elements, bring Pinot Noir fine structure, enveloping texture and a mineral finish. At Comtes Lafon, Santenots-du-Milieu translates into a pure and precise expression: ripe red fruits, floral notes, fine spices, fresh earth, liquorice and minerality. In 2016, the freshness of the vintage particularly highlights the delicacy of the fruit, textural finesse and the clarity of the climat.

Tasting notes

Appearance: bright ruby with garnet and purple reflections, luminous, fine and still well sustained. The colour reflects the freshness of the 2016 vintage and the natural transparency of Volnay Pinot Noir, with measured and elegant intensity.

Nose: fine, fresh and precise, with red cherry, Morello cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry, plum, fresh red fruits, rose, violet, fine spices, liquorice and fresh earth. With aeration, nuances of light forest floor, black tea, sweet pepper, bark, fine leather, dried herbs and limestone minerality may appear.

Palate: medium to full-bodied, silky, broad and elegantly structured, with precise red fruit carried by fine freshness. Flavours of cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry, plum, spices, liquorice, fine earth and stone unfold with finesse, supported by fine tannins and clear acidity. The finish is long, fresh, lightly saline and mineral, with an impression of purity, tension and great harmony.

Expression of the 2016 vintage

The 2016 vintage in Burgundy produced red wines that are fresh, precise, balanced and often remarkably expressive after a demanding season. In Volnay, this freshness highlights the delicacy of Pinot Noir, the purity of red fruit and the floral dimension of the terroir. In Santenots-du-Milieu, the 2016 stands out for its silky touch, elegant flesh, tension and mineral finish.

Today, this Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-du-Milieu 2016 is entering an interesting phase, with fruit still present and the first signs of elegant evolution. It can show expressiveness after measured aeration, while gradually gaining more forest floor, fine leather, melted spices, black tea, fresh earth, light truffle and mineral nuances around the core of red fruit.