This is virtually always Lafarge's best wine and it is again in 2002 with incredibly rich, powerful and complex flavors introduced by classy, pure and ripe aromas of dark pinot fruit notes and obvious earth nuances. There are buckets of pinot sap that coat and stain the palate and all but completely hide the ample but quite fine structure. A great Lafarge Clos des Chênes that should age for two decades and like the '03, it is well worth a special search.

(tasted from a 375-ml. bottle): Healthy dark red. Knockout nose offers musky, wild red berries, truffle and dried flowers, plus a balsamic nuance. Voluminous, tactile and deep; wonderfully generous and full, with the sweetness of fruit to give great pleasure right now. The very long finish features big but fine-grained tannins. This is remarkably fresh considering the bottle format; in fact, Michel Lafarge noted that the same wine from 750s was still closed. (I'm guessing that the regular bottles will go on for at least another 15 to 20 years.)

Good deep, bright red. Ineffable aromas of smoky red fruits and minerals, with hints of fresh herbs and licorice. Dense, sweet and pliant; wonderfully rich, smooth wine with terrific concentration but no sense of heaviness. Extremely long and suave on the back end, with the finest tannins of these 2002s. A great Volnay in the making.

The 2002 Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru has a wonderful bouquet with red cherries, Earl Grey, hints of wild mint and leather. This is beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with good weight, plenty of earthy red fruit with fine tension and energy towards the persistent finish. Sublime. Tasted at Sarah Marsh MW’s 2002 Red Burgundy tasting.

Very light garnet with a few little bits floating in it. Still distinctly embryonic on the nose! Mouth-filling fruity explosion on the palate suggests this will mature yet further. Great persistence. There's still a bit of fine tannin on the end. Very serious. Not come hither. I suspect that neophytes ignorant of Lafarge's reputation might find this a little off-putting because of the tannins but it's still admirably youthful. (JR)