2017 Domaine des Comtés Lafon Meursault Charmes 1er Cru

The 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes confirms its brilliant showing from barrel, offering up a lovely bouquet of fresh pear, mandarin, buttered apples, white flowers and fresh pastry, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional palate that's muscular, structured and concentrated, with fine cut and a long, chalky finish. As is quite often the case, I have a preference for this Charmes over Lafon's Perrières this year, though it will be interesting to put that contention to the test a decade from now.

Yield was 30–35 ha/hl. One-third new oak. Next to Perrières, near Sauzet's Les Combettes. 1.7 ha (4.2 acres). Creamy and ripe lemon, lemon cream with a hint of spice. Very spicy on the palate but it's a creamy texture, lots of matière , richer than Genevrières. ‘One of the best Charmes I have made’, notes Lafon. The freshness itself is spiced. The oak is well integrated but still quite present at the moment. Wonderful drive and length. Hard to move on to the next wine after tasting this. A lot of power for the vintage. (JH)

(Lafon actually had a full crop in 2016, producing 33 barrels, but the nascent buds of the younger vines here were eaten by caterpillars in 2017, reducing production to just 18 barrels): Alluring aromas of peach, lemon, crushed stone and acacia flower. Highly concentrated, youthfully tight wine with a firm spine of salty minerality. Finishes savory, brisk and long, with lovely citrus energy and nutty complexity. Seriously structured young Charmes with noteworthy finesse. Lafon describes it as "more Bâtard than Perrières ." Lafon's large holding in Charmes (1.9 hectares, of which 1.5 are in production) includes three distinct vine ages: 25, 47 and 90 years old.