There are times when I can imagine drinking nothing besides Lafarge. That speaks volumes about their consistency, soulfulness and age-worthiness.
Every vintage, Lafarge seems to find a way to shock and surprise. When you taste his '03s, this becomes clear. He produced incredibly and uniquely successful wines in this brutally hot and difficult vintage.
The same goes for 2004, a vintage with its own set of difficulties. Lafarge's 2004 lineup is really impressive. There's no getting around the fact that the vintage is a maligned one. However, Lafarge's 2004s highlight how dangerous the wholesale dismissal of a vintage can be. We're happy to offer his 1er Cru Clos du Chateau des Ducs to drive this point home. Our feelings about the wine are perfectly echoed in this Burghound quote: "Lovely stuff that will age well."
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I have zero interest in mincing words here. This is not the vintage of the century. But like many of the best 2004s, the Ducs has undergone a surprising evolution with age. It was always clear that Lafarge was very successful in 2004, but what's happened with time surpassed my expectations.
The 2004 currently boasts the vibrancy, the needlepoint precision and deep, mysterious minerality that I love about Lafarge. In its youth, there was a fair amount of hard-edged tannins, but over time they've softened and melded harmoniously into the rest of the wine. There's also plenty of finesse and high-toned lift to complement the intense mineral and earth tones.
Michel and Frédéric have reputations as being incredibly meticulous and detailed, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. The 2004 Ducs really drive home how true this is. How successful this wine turned out to be is a real feat.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits