Domaine Lafarge-Vial
Overview
Domaine Lafarge-Vial is the Beaujolais offshoot of the great Volnay estate Domaine Michel Lafarge, producing wines from Fleurie, Chiroubles, and Côte de Brouilly. The domaine produces multiple single vineyard Fleurie bottlings as well as one Chiroubles and one Côte de Brouilly. The 2023 collection reviewed by Gilman in VFTC #116 was uniformly outstanding, with four wines scoring 93–94 points.
Appellations
- Beaujolais — Fleurie (multiple single vineyards)
- Beaujolais — Chiroubles
- Beaujolais — Côte de Brouilly “Brulhié”
Key Wines
2023
- Fleurie “Clos Vernay” — near Moulin-à-Vent border; quartz/granite soils; most structured wine in lineup; 94 pts; 2030–2055+
- Fleurie “la Joie du Palais” — high on the slopes next to la Madone; granitic; 93+ pts; 2029–2055
- Fleurie (regular) — 93 pts; 2027–2050; very reliable
- Chiroubles — unusual: “one of the few Cru Beaujolais from 2023 that is really going to drink exceptionally well right from the moment of release, but will also age long and gracefully”; 93 pts; 2025–2050
- Côte de Brouilly “Brulhié” — due south slope alongside Château Thivin; 93+ pts; 2028–2055+
Style Notes
The Lafarge-Vial wines are classical in style — traditional Beaujolais methods with an emphasis on soil transparency and fine tannin. The Fleurie range is especially strong, ranging from the ethereal regular bottling to the powerful, Moulin-à-Vent-esque Clos Vernay. The connection to Michel Lafarge’s Volnay estate presumably informs the precision and structural discipline of the winemaking.
2024 Vintage Notes (Burghound #102)
Frederic Lafarge: picked Sept 8–27 as maturities were “all over the place.” Yields off 40% due to heavy rains, hail, and disease pressure. Bottled January 2026.
2024 Scores (bottled):
- Fleurie “Clos Vernay”: 90 — spicy, peppery; not quite as dense but finer; needs a few years of cellaring
- Fleurie: 89 — elegant, perfumed; sappy, vibrant; enticing “gulpable” quality
- Cote de Brouilly: 89 — attractive mouthfeel; good quality; could be enjoyed young or aged
- Fleurie “La Joie du Palais”: 88 — excellent punch and power; dusty, chewy, borderline grippy; needs bottle age
- Chiroubles: 87 — pepper-inflected; good vibrancy but finish flirts with dryness
My Tastings
(none yet)
Sources
sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC March-April 2025 #116.txt(pp. 95, 97, 103–104)sources/articles/Burghound/Burghound Issue 102 - 2024 and 2023 Cote de Beaune Reds.txt