Domaine Michel Lafarge, Beaune 1er Cru Greves, 1988 (tattered labels)

Lafarge is Burgundy royalty — a legendary Volnay-and-Beaune domaine and among the region's biodynamic pioneers — and this is a genuinely old bottle from one of their great Beaune Premier Crus. Greves is a top site, and Lafarge farms a parcel planted in 1951 with some vines pushing a century in age, made the traditional way with native yeasts and older barrels. The 1988 was a firm, structured, tannic vintage built for the long haul, and at roughly thirty-seven years old it has finally arrived. One honest note: this bottle wears tattered, scratched-up labels, purely cosmetic wear that comes with age — the wine inside is what matters. A mature Burgundy for someone who wants the real, aged article.