Cellar Circle exclusives

Clos de la Barre is the domaine’s monopole 2.1-hectare vineyard which lies just behind the cellar. The wine always has a bright acidity, married with ripe stone fruit and a salty tang on the finish. A hint of Danish pastry makes it typically Meursault.

Lafon’s Charmes is one of the defining wines of the appellation. When buying this, you get quintessential Meursault, quintessential Lafon. The parcel is in the upper part of the Premier Cru, and makes for a racier wine than those you find further down the slope. It has incredible energy on the palate, and superb concentration, thanks to the old vines (some are approaching 100 years).

The domaine only bought this parcel in 2011, and it still feels like a newcomer on their list, even though it’s been a decade of releases already. The clay soils of the vineyard make a wonderfully rich wine that never shows any heaviness. It is crystalline with great presence.

The 2023 vintage of Flor de Pingus is a blend of 95% Tinto Fino and 5% Garnacha. With just 20% new oak which melts into the ripe dark berry fruit, there are subtle notes of cocoa dusted cherries and charcoal embers. There is real intensity to the wine with pixelated, supple tannin that frames the fruit with real finesse. The finish is long, fresh and extremely harmonious.

So expressive on the nose, it opens with aromas of dried mint, a little vanilla and leather. Subtle notes of chocolate and baking spice mingle with the ripe strawberry and red berry fruits. Excellent freshness that runs through the palate, there is a beautiful savoury character that emerges with a little earth and grilled meat. While offering so much charm, it is clearly a truly classic Rioja that will age gracefully over the coming decades.

Stéphane’s parcel of 65-year-old vines lies right in the heart of the old Clos, the original part of the appellation. With such an amazing terroir, Stéphane comments that ‘70% of the job is done’! It shows delicate salinity and fragrant fruit depth. Understated but hugely impressive.

This parcel, right in the centre of the village, has been owned by the Lafarge family since 2005. It has an ideal mid-slope position, and produces a floral wine with great tension and an intense fruit core: quintessential Volnay. A more ethereal feel this year with fine texture and a lift of wild strawberry and cherry blossom.

Produced in every vintage since the foundation of the domaine, this 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, produced from co-planted vines, is one of Burgundy’s bargains. There is charm and freshness to the wine that offers aromas of violets and fresh red cherry with just a tinge of liquorice root on the finish.

Where the Bonnes Mares is muscular and persuasive, this is fragrant and fine, with a compelling thread of crystalline red fruit reaching to an astonishing finish. Clos de Bèze is a slightly steeper and warmer site than Chambertin next door, and the potential heights of complexity and concentration it can produce are remarkable.

Nicole has three parcels within this Grand Cru, one in the northwest corner (where everyone wants to be) tucked up next to Musigny. The three add complexity and layers to the finished wine. This is so lively with some dried herbs, white pepper and coffee grounds that lead to distinctly red berry fruit on the palate. The tannin is fine-grained with an athletic feel that promises a long life ahead.

The domaine purchased this plot of Vosne Premier Cru in the 1990s, and since then has been making this superb cuvée. Creamy, aromatic red fruit notes announce a serious Suchots. Impressive spice and structure.

This is a Bonnes Mares of distinction: it is the only part of the vineyard to fall within Morey-Saint-Denis (the rest is in Chambolle-Musigny). It is muscular, yet tender, with a deep and concentrated core. There is an unbelievable length on display here, with a finish that fans out across the palate.