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.
At the time, most of the vineyards were leased out to sharecroppers; but by ‘93 Dominique had reclaimed all of his family’s vineyards and assumed full control of the domaine. Not only are the Lafons’ 15 individual vineyards located in the best appellations in Meursault and Volnay, but they tend to be very well situated within them, and are now cultivated according to organic and biodynamic principles. In 2010, Jasper Morris wrote in his book ‘Inside Burgundy’, that their white wines were “now consistently among the best in Burgundy, while since 1989 the reds have reached the top division”.
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.
92-94 Points William Kelley (Wine Advocate)
Unwinding in the glass with aromas of pear and orange oil mingled with white flowers, apple blossom and freshly baked bread, Lafon’s 2022 Meursault 1er Cru Goutte d’Or is medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a textural attack that segues into a layered and lively palate, concluding with good grip on the finish.
The first produced under the direction of Léa and Pierre Lafon, the 2022 vintage has turned out very well at this address, delivering both quality and reasonable quantity, a welcome change after the vicissitudes of 2021. For now, no big changes are afoot, and Dominque Lafon continues to be a guiding presence—organic and biodynamic farming in the vineyards, barrel fermentation for whites, two winters’ élevage on the lees for both colors, and bottling under Diam technical corks (since 2013) continue to be the order of the day. What’s new this year are two attractive cuvées of Puligny-Montrachet, the fruit of a sharecropping agreement.
93-95 Points Vinous
The 2022 Meursault Goutte d’Or 1er Cru has a quintessential Meursault nose with walnut and hazelnut infusing citrus fruit, displaying fine tension and a sense of energy. The well-balanced palate has a supple entry, quite concentrated yet refined with a slightly honeyed finish – hints of marmalade and quince. Lovely length here – superb