2011 Domaine des Comtés Lafon Meursault

(12.5% alcohol, after a bit of chaptalization): Subdued nose hints at pear, clove and lees. Round, ripe and on the soft side, but with sneaky acidity giving shape to the peach and pear flavors. A very smooth village wine with good length.

The 2011 Meursault is quite beautiful, even if it shows some tightness from its recent bottling. White peach, pear and spice notes all wrap around an energetic frame. I very much like the way the 2011 opens up in the glass. The Comtes Lafon Meursault is now a blend of various parcels, mostly Clos de la Baronne, En la Barre, Luraules and Crotos.

The 2011 Meursault Village is the first to be blended with the parcel of Clos des Baronnes acquired from Domaine Manuel. It was assembled in tank around January and bottled around early June. It offers an attractive bouquet with hints of wild honey, orange blossom and quince. The palate is refined on the entry but then motors up a few gears toward the finish with hints of brioche and popcorn infusing the citrus fruit. There is good richness here for a Village Cru. Drink now-2020. It was great to see Dominique Lafon three weeks after meeting him in Macon, this time back in Meursault. That semi-pornographic, licentious wine advertisement still hung on the office wall (those that have been there know what I mean) and a cigarette butt drooped from Dominique’s mouth, possibly the same one he lit when I bid him farewell back in Macon. If you added up all the charisma and charm in Bordeaux it still would amount to less than Dominique Lafon. I have tasted at this address for over a decade, but this marked the first time I had been presented his complete set of Premier Cru Meursault wines since his acquisition from Domaine Manuel with Jean-Marc Roulot. He remarked that possibly with the exception of a negociant, he is the only vigneron with all six top-tier Premier Crus south of the village. Dominique opened his full range of 2011s, including the Montrachet, which he avowed to polish off with a fish supper that night. How I would have loved to join him. Needless to say, this was an exemplary set of 2011s that do not disappoint. While like many others he concedes that 2010s have the upper hand and are likely to outlive them, he admires the 2011s for their approachability and charm. Importer: Becky Wassermann Selections (Le Serbet); www.leserbet.com