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WINES OF COMTES LAFON
🇫🇷🍷😍
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| For those who love great Burgundy, this winery needs no introduction. However, for those who want to learn more about the region’s great terroirs, tasting the wines of Domaine des Comtes Lafon is a true education. Jules Lafon migrated to Burgundy’s Côte d’Or from his native Tarn-et-Garonne in the southwest of France in 1887. Three generations later, in 1984, their great-grandson Dominique took over the domaine. During this time, they produced small lots of wine under the Comtes Lafon label, using the juice that came from the vignerons as rent. As these long-term contracts were gradually ending, Dominique decided to reclaim the land and bottle the wine himself—a turning point for this historic estate. By 1993, all of the family’s 13.8 hectares were back under Dominique’s control, and he began slowly converting the vineyards to organic viticulture. Today, Comtes Lafon makes wine from four communes—Meursault, Volnay, Monthélie and Puligny-Montrachet—across fifteen appellations, including several premier and grand crus. Using ancient strains of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all propagated by séléction massale, Dominque has taken organic farming to the next level: biodynamics. The domaine earned organic certification in 1995 and biodynamic certification in 1998, showing the family’s passionate commitment to the long-term sustainability of their vineyards. The team at Domaine des Comtes Lafon limits yields by de-budding vines in the spring. The harvest is all done by hand, and the grapes are sorted twice—once in the vineyards and again at the winery. Their vines average 32 years.
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| A tiny 0.15 hectare parcel, the Monthelie Blanc was planted in 1996 just above the Monthelie-les-Duresses. Due to the severe (28%) slope, the vineyard is worked by horse and by hand. At first, the wine was only consumed at the domaine during harvest but it is now released in tiny quantities.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon has been in the Lafon family since 1865. Dominique Lafon took over the domaine in 1985. It is comprised of approximately 14 hectares situated in the communes of Volnay, Monthélie, Chassagne-Montrachet, and of course, Meursault, where the domaine and its monopole vineyard Clos de la Barre are located.
$90
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| Pretty and fresh aromas display ripe plum, red and dark currant plus a top note of raspberry. There is good punch to the delicious middle weight flavors that exude notes of salinity and rusticity on the lingering finish. This is really quite good and while it's not an elegant rendition of the genre, I like the depth and persistence. Outstanding. –Allen Meadows, Burghound.
Always searching for new challenges, Dominique Lafon started his own label - separate from the family domaine - in 2008 and currently works approximately 4.5 hectares in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Volnay, and Beaune. Legally, he is considered a négociant but this is only because Dominique shares space with another winemaker. (Think of it as a custom crush facility, but in Burgundy.)
$118
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| Blend of older vines (En La Barre, En Luraules, Les Crotots, Clos de la Baronnne) and younger vines (1er Cru Charmes, 1er Cru Genevrières, Clos de la Barre)
$170
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| "The 2019 Meursault Clos de la Baron is a special bottling made for Robert Bohr, the US importer. It has a perfumed bouquet of yellow plum and light honeysuckle aromas that show good intensity. The medium-bodied palate features a viscous opening, slightly lower acidity and pineapple and citrus notes toward the rich, generous finish. Excellent." -Vinous
After his determined intervention to prevent the division of the vineyards, René Lafon took over the estate in 1956 and with the sharecroppers cooperation, set about getting the vineyards back into condition which involved extensive planting. Gradually, a higher and higher proportion of the production was bottled leading to the entire production by 1961. His interest in wine and the vine led him to leave Paris and move permanently to Meursault and to the Victorian abode which remains the home of his wife and himself.
$215
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| Domaine des Comtes Lafon has been in the Lafon family since 1865. Dominique Lafon took over the domaine in 1983. It is comprised of approximately 14 hectares situated in the communes of Volnay, Monthélie, Chassagne-Montrachet, and of course, Meursault, where the domaine and its monopole vineyard Clos de la Barre are located. All of his vineyards are cultivated biodynamically and he is proud to own every Premier Cru in Meursault. As part of the fourth generation of winemakers in the Lafon family, Dominique and his wines are superstars not only in Burgundy but throughout the world.
The 1er Cru Porusots is an east-facing vineyard with deep clay soils. The site produces lavish, layered and deeply structured wines.
$495.99
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| Where Lafon excels is in maintaining the typicity of each of his crus. Other than the use of new oak, there is little variation in winemaking techniques. Montrachet is the only wine to be aged entirely in new oak. The premiers crus are aged in a proportion that varies from 25% to 40% and the wine stays in wood for 16 months. Lees-stirring is used sparingly – ‘usually when the fermentation is slow to finish or when the wine is reduced’, he says. Keeping the cellars cold ensures fermentations can be slow and the young wines benefit from long aging before being racked and fined.
$499.99
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