Heritiers du Comte Lafon
Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate (summer 2017)
Bottle
£21.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Bottle
£22.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 5cs
The hot and dry conditions of summer 2017 have yielded mixed blessings; the wines are deliciously ripe but the volumes have suffered a little due to drought stress. Picking began early (at the end of August), with the resulting wines being described by Caroline as of really high quality, with good balance and maturity. Dominique and Caroline take great care to pick each parcel (and indeed sub-parcel) at precisely the right time to ensure optimum ripeness.
Bottle
£25.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 64cs
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer
In September 1999 the Lafon family bought a domaine at Milly-Lamartine, renaming it Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon. In May 2003 a further six hectares in the villages of Uchizy and Chardonnay were added, followed by Viré-Clessé in 2009 and Prissé, PouillyFuissé and St Véran in 2014. The whole operation, based at Milly, is now looked after by Caroline Gon under the supervision of Dominique Lafon and totals 26 hectares. The vineyards are now biodynamic, and the wines are vinified partly in stainless steel, partly in large wooden foudres and partly in demimuids, depending on the cuvée. It hailed a little in St Véran. Harvest began on 15th September, finishing with the Mâcon-Bussières on 1st October, allowing Dominique and his cellar master, Caroline Gon, to pick each of their parcels at the perfect level of ripeness. Caroline explained that the acidity levels of the 2016s are not dissimilar to those of 2015, but that the lower alcohol means the wines feel fresher and more energetic.
Bottle
£30.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 52cs
The hot and dry conditions of summer 2017 have yielded mixed blessings; the wines are deliciously ripe but the volumes have suffered a little due to drought stress. Picking began early (at the end of August), with the resulting wines being described by Caroline as of really high quality, with good balance and maturity. Dominique and Caroline take great care to pick each parcel (and indeed sub-parcel) at precisely the right time to ensure optimum ripeness.
Bottle
£30.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 33cs
Bottle
£30.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 25cs
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer
In September 1999 the Lafon family bought a domaine at Milly-Lamartine, renaming it Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon. In May 2003 a further six hectares in the villages of Uchizy and Chardonnay were added, followed by Viré-Clessé in 2009 and Prissé, PouillyFuissé and St Véran in 2014. The whole operation, based at Milly, is now looked after by Caroline Gon under the supervision of Dominique Lafon and totals 26 hectares. The vineyards are now biodynamic, and the wines are vinified partly in stainless steel, partly in large wooden foudres and partly in demimuids, depending on the cuvée. It hailed a little in St Véran. Harvest began on 15th September, finishing with the Mâcon-Bussières on 1st October, allowing Dominique and his cellar master, Caroline Gon, to pick each of their parcels at the perfect level of ripeness. Caroline explained that the acidity levels of the 2016s are not dissimilar to those of 2015, but that the lower alcohol means the wines feel fresher and more energetic.
Bottle
£30.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 39cs
The hot and dry conditions of summer 2017 have yielded mixed blessings; the wines are deliciously ripe but the volumes have suffered a little due to drought stress. Picking began early (at the end of August), with the resulting wines being described by Caroline as of really high quality, with good balance and maturity. Dominique and Caroline take great care to pick each parcel (and indeed sub-parcel) at precisely the right time to ensure optimum ripeness.
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 10cs
Adam Bruntlett, Brugundy Buyer
In September 1999 the Lafon family bought a domaine at Milly-Lamartine, renaming it Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon. In May 2003 a further six hectares in the villages of Uchizy and Chardonnay were added, followed by Viré-Clessé in 2009 and Prissé, PouillyFuissé and St Véran in 2014. The whole operation, based at Milly, is now looked after by Caroline Gon under the supervision of Dominique Lafon and totals 26 hectares. The vineyards are now biodynamic, and the wines are vinified partly in stainless steel, partly in large wooden foudres and partly in demimuids, depending on the cuvée. It hailed a little in St Véran. Harvest began on 15th September, finishing with the Mâcon-Bussières on 1st October, allowing Dominique and his cellar master, Caroline Gon, to pick each of their parcels at the perfect level of ripeness. Caroline explained that the acidity levels of the 2016s are not dissimilar to those of 2015, but that the lower alcohol means the wines feel fresher and more energetic.
Bottle
£32.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 25cs
The hot and dry conditions of summer 2017 have yielded mixed blessings; the wines are deliciously ripe but the volumes have suffered a little due to drought stress. Picking began early (at the end of August), with the resulting wines being described by Caroline as of really high quality, with good balance and maturity. Dominique and Caroline take great care to pick each parcel (and indeed sub-parcel) at precisely the right time to ensure optimum ripeness.
Case price (Bottle 12 x 75cl)
Bottle 12 x 75cl 2cs
The hot and dry conditions of summer 2017 have yielded mixed blessings; the wines are deliciously ripe but the volumes have suffered a little due to drought stress. Picking began early (at the end of August), with the resulting wines being described by Caroline as of really high quality, with good balance and maturity. Dominique and Caroline take great care to pick each parcel (and indeed sub-parcel) at precisely the right time to ensure optimum ripeness.
Bottle
£32.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl 52cs
The 2014 wines were all bottled just before the 2015 harvest using Diam10 corks, and the crus – such as Viré-Clessé – have a slightly different label (effectively the same as those for the other Mâconnais wines but with the colours inverted). Dominique thinks that 2014 is not only an excellent vintage, but also remarkably consistent for every part of the Mâconnais. The entire range is a joy this year.
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
Will Heslop - Wine Buyer
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
In September 1999 the Lafon family of Meursault bought a domaine in the wine region of Maconnais at Milly Lamartine, renaming it Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon.
In May 2003 a further domaine of 6 hectares in the villages of Uchizy and Chardonnay was bought. Together the Mâcon domaine amounted to 14 hectares producing seven wines in all, four of them from single-vineyard sites. The most recent addition, from 2009, is a contract to farm the vineyards of the Château de Viré, with the appellation Viré-Clessé.
The whole operation, based at Milly, is now looked after by Caroline Gon under the supervision of Dominique Lafon. The vineyards were immediately converted to organic and now to biodynamic farming. The wines are vinified partly in stainless steel, partly in large wooden foudres (ovals) and partly in demi-muids - barrels of 600 litres, depending on the cuvée.
Jasper Morris MW is author of the award-winning Inside Burgundy comprehensive handbook.