Dominique Lafon has Burgundy in his blood. He’s managed his family’s domaine — Domaine des Comtes Lafon — since the 1980s, and in the decades since, he’s embarked on not one, but two, solo projects. His great-grandfather was Mayor of Meursault in the 1920s, but Dominique is arguably godfather of the entire region.
He’s a dynamic winemaker: unapologetically brash at times, yet remarkably sensitive and curious. When he took over from his father, who never worked in the vines, Dominique insisted on a more hands-on approach; he learned how to ride a tractor (much to the delight and incredulity of his more tractor-savvy neighbors), and farming was converted to organic and biodynamics.
But managing the family estate wasn't enough. No, Dominique wanted to make a name for himself, so in 2008 he purchased a handful of parcels in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Volnay and Beaune. He believes the wines under his own label have greater tension and minerality than those of Domaine des Comtes Lafon, and credits a shorter élévage and higher-elevation vines for this effect.