2006 Meursault

Based on his holdings in En La Barre, along with Luraule and Chaumes de Narvaux next door to and above Gouttes d’Or respectively, and this year incorporating two barrels of young vines Genevrieres that were late finishing malo, Lafon’s 2006 Meursault features refreshing lime and pineapple; suggestions of raw rather than toasted nuts and grain; a silken but not at all creamy texture; and a long finish with cress, chalk, and pepper accents. This should be worth cellaring for 3-5 years. The almost briny, deeply savory 2005 is impressive if less refreshing or fun to drink today. Like his neighbor Jean-Marc Roulot, Benoit Ente in Puligny, and a few others, Dominique Lafon obtained authorization to begin picking several days ahead of the official ban de vendange. He set his crew to work over the weekend, and was finished already on the 20th of September. The Perrieres, picked first, reached 13.8% alcohol, but all of the other wines weighed in at lower levels. Lafon insisted – and his wines testified – that the Chardonnay grapes were botrytis free, and he characterized the lees as excellent in quality and practiced “less settling than I did in the past.” That restraint – along with bright acids and pronounced minerality – makes for a richness that often expresses itself other than in creaminess. As these wines evolved, Lafon became increasingly enthusiastic about them, and I found them much more expressive on the eve of bottling than they had been in late 2007. Incidentally, the sickly vines in Lafon’s Desiree vineyard that have given so much bottled pleasure over the years gave their last in the beautifully refined, bittersweet, and for the vintage unusually delicate and creamy 2005. “It tastes as though the vines knew they were going to be pulled out,” was Lafon’s valediction. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers), fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70; A Daniel Johnnes Selection imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY, tel. (516) 677 9300; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA, tel. (781) 352 1100; Beaune Imports, Berkeley, CA, tel. (510) 559 1040

Hazelnut, vanilla and oak spice on the nose. Very ripe, sweet stone fruit flavors are enlivened by nicely integrated acidity. A suave, concentrated village wine with very good freshness and grip. The stone fruit flavors are joined by a note of orange on the back.

This wine was in the difficult position of following Lafon’s extremely opulent Mâcon Milly, Clos du Four (see Heritiers du Comte Lafon notes) which may have affected how inexpressive and tight it seemed on the nose. Pretty dry, astringent and dumb although it grew on the end of the palate. (JR)