2022 Viré-Clessé, Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Burgundy
Critics reviews
Unlike the previous vintage, the 2022 Viré-Clessé comes from several parcels that include “younger” vines that are around 20 years old. It has an attractive bouquet of yellow flowers and a touch of peach skin. Fine delineation. The palate is well-balanced with a saline entry. Fine depth with impressive persistency. Recommended.
Arguably the most prominent Meursault producer, it was big news when Dominique Lafon retired and handed the running to his daughter Léa and nephew Pierre Lafon, who took maternity leave after giving birth to her two children. Of course, Dominique Lafon remains a presence at the winery. They taste together every other week, though in the past, on more than one occasion, Lafon has emphasized how they make the calls.
“The 2022 is our last vintage with Caroline Gon [who is not devoted to her and her husband’s domaine, Frantz-Chagnolou]. There was a transition period between her and our new winemaker, Elsie Moore, who has now taken over.” As well as the Mâconnais wines, we tasted through their complete portfolio of reds and whites. “The reds were racked after the harvest at the end of September. They were picked from August 29 and finished on September 4. The alcohol levels are around 13.5%, with a pH around 3.50. We have a new de-stemmer, so we have some whole bunches, around 50% for some cuvées. The whites will be bottled as early as January next year.”
Drink 2024 - 2036
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (January 2024)
About this WINE
Heritiers du Comte Lafon
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon was established in 1999 when the famed Lafon family of Meursault purchased a small domaine in Milly-Lamartine.
Their enthusiasm for the project has grown ever since, as has the domaine: today it covers 26 hectares in the most prestigious appellations of the Mâconnais, all farmed biodynamically.
The estate is overseen by the energetic Caroline Gon, in close consultation with Dominique Lafon. The 2020 vintage sees the increased involvement of Dominique’s daughter Léa and nephew Pierre, both taking a keen interest in the Mâconnais project.
Caroline continues to run the estate on a day-to-day basis, putting Dominique’s vision into practice.
In the winery
Vinification and ageing continue to move towards larger oak formats, with increased use of foudres and demi-muids. The team recognise the profile of Mâcon wines as being more generous and fruitier than those of the Côte d’Or. So their aim is to retain as much freshness as possible, and not to impart too much oak character.
Mâcon
The city of Mâcon represents the capital of the Mâconnais district in the region of Burgundy, to which it lends its name. There are various appellations under the name Mâcon: the generic Mâcon AC, Mâcon Supérieur and the Mâcon-Villages, in ascending order of how much land each appellation entails.
The standard Mâcon AC controls around 53 hectares of vineyard, 70 percent of which is used to produce just white wine, primarily from the Chardonnay grape. Mâcon used to be recognised for its red wines, but in the last century Mâconnais whites have come to the forefront far more. This generic appellation represents a specific style of wine made across the Mâconnais district, rather than an appellation which would cover a select area or terroir.
The ‘Supérieur’ in Mâcon Supérieur refers not to an increase in quality but rather to the boost in alcohol content, a term which can be applied to either red or white wines.
Mâcon-Villages is a specific appellation which refers to white wines produced in certain areas of the Mâconnais region, and usually denotes an improvement in quality over the straightforward Mâcon AC wines.
Many of the small communes under the Mâcon classification opt to add their name to that of the appellation on their wines; notable examples include La Roche Vineuse, Uchizy and Lugny.
Wines from Mâcon tend to be uncomplicated affairs, simple but enjoyable, and the whites in particular are notable for their dry, light bodies and the presence of floral and nutty facets.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
The Lafons have seven hectares here, four within a clos. Only the old vines are reserved for this wine. They’re divided into numerous sub-plots, with each picked when perfectly ready. There is an old-vine intensity and viscosity here, without any feeling of heaviness. It may be auto-suggestion, but there’s even a hint of Meursault in this wine.
Drink 2026 - 2036
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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