Domaine Michel Lafarge Rouge Beaune Greves Premier Cru Beaune Burgundy France, 2017, 750

• Size: 0.38 ha (0.94 ac)
• Variety: Pinot Noir
• Vine Age: Planted in 1951
• Terroir: Moderately steep slope facing directly east. Moderately deep, gravelly, light soils on limestone. 225 to 300-meters elevation.
• Viticulture: Certified organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Demeter)
• Vinification: 100% de-stemmed, indigenous yeast fermentation, pneumatic press. Aged for 18 months, unfiltered.

The Lafarge parcel of Les Grèves stands out from the entire vineyard. This parcel is located in the northwest corner near the top of the slope at approximately 260-meters elevation. Small crumbling walls surround the vineyard on most sides, and although Frederic says that these small walls do not quite function exactly as a clos, they do help to stop the runoff from other vineyards, keeping his vines healthy. The vines within these small walls sit in a small concavity of the slope that looks like its own little nook, or cradle. Within this cradle are some of Lafarge’s oldest vines of Pinot Noir, with the oldest being up to 96 years old.