As I mention in the introduction to the vintage, Dominique Lafon justified harvesting earlier than the traditional 100 days from flowering on the basis that the flowering now takes place earlier than when the rule was established, and as a result the grapes have more exposure to the long days of summer. The results back his reasoning.
Harvesting for the whites began on 28 August and finished at the beginning of September; for the reds, harvesting began at the end of August. Yields for red are less than in 2017 (when the vines reacted vigorously after the frosts of 2016). For reds, they are 35-40 hl/ha, a bit more for Monthélie; for the whites, yields go up to 60 hl/ha for the village wine.
Malo-lactic fermentations were finished long before I tasted in late October, and the wines are going to receive a longer élévage than the 2017s.
For the reds, all grapes were destemmed. Alcohols are in the range of 13.0 - 13.4º.
Starting, as always here, with the reds:
2018 Monthélie 1er Cru Aux Duresses
This wine is pure, delicious, and precise with strawberry fruit that is almost crystalline and shows freshness, but there is not much tension here. (89-91)
2018 Volnay
This is from young vines planted in the Santenots-du-Milieu vineyard, and it is the first indication I have of the outstanding quality of Volnay in the 2018 vintage. The nose is stony. In the mouth, the wine shows structure with stony dark fruits and very good freshness. (90-92)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes
The Clos des Chênes is light and almost lacy on the tongue with dark fruits and the finesse that is typical of Lafon’s version from this vineyard. (91-93)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Champans
The Champans is, as usual, fleshy and round. It has dark fruits and good energy. Two-thirds of the vines here are 100 years-old. (92-94)
2018 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-du-Milieu
As is typical, the Santenots-du-Milieu has more structure than the previous wines. There’s also more restraint here for the moment. The wine is pure and features dark fruits that are deep. It is a complete wine with finesse and structure, and it potentially could develop into a great wine. (94-96)