The Lafarge family has made top red and white Burgundy in Volnay for decades. But with small holdings — often afflicted with frost and hail — they simply can't make enough of it to go around. So about ten years ago they headed a little south to Beaujolais, where they bought vines and named their new Beaujolais winery Domaine Lafarge-Vial (Vial is Chantal Lafarge’s maiden name).

It shouldn't come as a big surprise that they've done such a good job. The family has been growing Gamay for generations in Burgundy (it goes into their great Passetoutgrains), so they know the principal grape variety of Beaujolais very well.

It helps that Beaujolais isn't far from home. They have no problem being actively involved in the farming (where they’ve adopted the same organic and biodynamic practices as in Volnay) and the winemaking. As a bonus, Gamay in Beaujolais ripens at a slightly different time than their grapes in Volnay, so they can do one harvest after another without missing a beat.

We liked Lafarge-Vial’s early vintages a lot. When we tasted the 2022s, we were pleased to discover that the wines have only gotten better. But that makes sense. It always takes a few vintages of working with new terroir to develop the day-to-day vine-growing and winemaking intuitions that are critical to making artisanal wine of the highest level.

In 2022, they produced simply sensational Cru Beaujolais. These are deep, finally balanced wines with a deliciously rich fruitiness that makes these a lot of fun to drink now. But they are made in a Burgundian style and have a sneaky amount of structure for Gamay-based wines, so they are also unquestionably ageworthy. If you are a fan of Lafarge, or of great Beaujolais, these are must-tries:

Domaine Lafarge-Vial, Côte De Brouilly, 2022 $49.99
Also 50 year-old vines. The site is so steep that the Lafarges need to bring in a horse (they borrow Olivier Merlin’s) to plough it. Great aging potential.

Domaine Lafarge-Vial, Fleurie, 2022 $47.99 
From vines 50-70 year-old vines planted in two south-facing sites in Fleurie. This is beautifully floral and fresh.

Domaine Lafarge-Vial, Fleurie “Clos Vernay”, 2022 $55.99
Simply great Fleurie. The vines are a bit younger than the straight Fleurie, but they are all in a somewhat sheltered single-vineyard rich in quartz and granite.