Description
Domaine des Comtes Lafon is based in Meursault, where it has holdings in each of the finest Cru and Premier Cru vineyards in Meursault. They have a reputation for maintaining the signature character of each site in their wines. They don’t rest on their laurels, though, their red wines from their Volnay Premiers Crus are increasingly popular and should not be overlooked.
The domaine was established in 1869 by the Boch family and has remained in their care ever since – only changing its name when Marie Boch married Comte Jules Lafon in ‘94. When fourth-generation Dominique Lafon took charge in 1985, Domaine des Comtes Lafon already had a reputation for unconventional yet outstanding white wines.
In ‘99 the Lafon family branched out, buying a domaine in the Mâconnais at Milly-Lamartine and making wines under the name of ‘Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon’. More recently, Dominique Lafon has also established a small label of his own bearing his own name.
Domaine des Comtes Lafon have been certified as organic since 1995, and although biodynamic principles have been used since ‘98, they have not sought to become Demeter certified – citing “too much paperwork” as the main reason. The two newer businesses in the family portfolio are also organic, and when new vineyards are acquired, each is converted as soon as possible thereafter.
Tasting Notes
As usual, the 2018 Meursault 1er Cru Goutte d’Or, which derives from clay-rich soils, makes for quite a contrast after the Bouchères, where the soils are richer in active calcium. Unwinding to reveal aromas of citrus oil, fresh peach, white flowers and a deft touch of minty new oak, the wine is medium to full-bodied, muscular and incisive, with a deeper and more structured profile than the ethereal Bouchères. [91-93+ Points, William Kelley – January 2020, robertparker.com]
