2012 Volnay Les Santenots-du-Milieu

In recent years, Domaine des Comtes Lafon has been in transition, as Dominique Lafon hands the reins to daughter, Léa, and nephew, Pierre Lafon. The latter greeted me in Meursault. Dominique has his own project in his name, working out of the shared facility in Bligny-lès-Beaune, that unfortunately I did not have time to taste this year. This comprehensive tasting included their Mâconnais wines. Readers should note that I made a short video with Pierre Lafon that can be found in the Media section circa this report’s publication.

We began with the reds that, similar to other producers’, eschew the use of whole bunches in this season. Also, following conversations with Dominique, the wines underwent a little more racking, the next due a little earlier than usual in November rather than December (this may entail earlier bottling, though no decision has been made). The Mâcon wines were picked from September 1, then the Côte de Beaune whites began in Montrachet on September 4. The reds were hot on their heels two days later. The Mâcon wines were bottled in June/July 2024 except for the Clos des Fours, bottled just prior to picking.

In 2023, I am smitten by the red Volnays that exude purity and finesse. These wines seem light on their feet yet deliver wonderful intensity and seductive silky textures. In particular, Les Champans delivers everything you could wish for. The whites center on Meursault, of course. The Les Perrières and Genevrières are the two predictable standouts. There are the usual seven barrels of Montrachet, the epitome of intensity and finesse, and one of the best that I have tasted at this prenatal stage. Judging by the quality of these latest wines, it looks like one of Meursault’s most prominent producers lies in safe hands.

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, the former having taken 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. Dominique did drop in during my visit, as I was sure and hoped he would, though it was Pierre Lafon who took me through the wines that included their Mâconnais range. “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.”

Although Comtes Lafon is renowned for its Meursaults, readers should note that their reds can be outstanding. I was intrigued to taste their Volnay Les Santenots-du-Milieu, which includes stems (50%), for the first time, a move that enhances this cuvée. It’s not their new recipe, and readers should be advised that the 2023 contains nary a stem. But I feel that their Volnays would benefit from their addition. Beady-eyed readers will also spot a couple of maiden vintages from new fermage agreements: a Puligny Village and Puligny Les Charmes, the latter very promising. Amongst the Meursaults, I usually find that the Les Perrières rules the roost, but in 2022, its position is usurped by a fabulous Les Charmes, a Premier Cru that seemed to revel in the growing season, closely followed by a superb Genevrières. Predictably, the Montrachet is stunning, aged half in new oak in its first year, then used oak for the remaining nine months. It is, as I write in my one-word summation, majestic.

“My uncle has retired,” Dominique Lafon’s nephew Pierre tells me before we start tasting, to which I rejoinder. “What kind of retirement? There’s retiring, and there’s retiring.” As I expected, Dominique Lafon is not bronzing on a sun lounger in the Costa del Sol and soon holds court down in the cellar. We even nip over to the crush facility in Bligny to taste his négociant wine under his name, which has always remained in the shadow of Domaine des Comte Lafon. He’ll devote more time to this side project as he keeps a respectful distance and gives Pierre and his daughter Léa the space to put their stamp on one of the most famous estates in the Côte d’Or, dropping in once every couple of weeks. (Readers can find reviews of those 2021s under “Dominique Lafon” in this report.)

Back to the Domaine, Lafon tells me that 2021 was the most challenging vintage he had ever seen. But Pierre gives me the lowdown… “It was a complicated growing season with the frost, when we lost two-thirds of the crop, mostly in the Premier Crus on the slopes like Les Perrières and Genevrières. We didn’t prune late, like in 2022. It’s something we are looking at. Afterward, it was rainy with a cooler summer. There were few sunny days, and the ground was always wet, so we could not go out in the tractor to spray. But the grapes were in pretty good condition, and we only had one parcel of Meursault to sort at harvest. We picked between 17 and 27 September. We were lucky because we only had one day of rain.” Léa Lafon tells me: “We thought conditions would be awful, but they weren’t bad at all. Altogether, we were worn out by the year. When you pick in August, everything is so fast, but in September, things go more slowly as there is less sun, so waiting a day doesn’t make much difference. Most of the whites and Volnay were picked before the rain. The fermentation went very smoothly, and there wasn’t so much work in the cellar as the volume was so small. The malo took some time as the cellar was quite cold, some cuvées finishing in February or March. We used no new barrels in 2021, the same as in 2016, and just used one-year-old barrels. When you have a small volume in small tanks, you can get a bit of oxidation, so we might bottle a bit earlier.”

These are impressive wines, crowned by a superlative Meursault Les Perrières that dares to outshine the Montrachet, though as Dominique Lafon mentions, they could switch the following week. Quantities are severely depleted - good luck trying to find the measly 450-odd bottles of Genevrières, yet terroirs shine through, just one or two cuvées missing their usual elan. There is no Volnay Village this year, though the Premier Crus are well worth seeking out and are surfeit with crunchy red berry fruit.

Dominique Lafon was in typically irrepressible form when I dropped in at his winery in Meursault. His son, Pierre, took me through the reds first. “The reds are racked but not sulfured,” he told me. “They are very elegant in style with between 13.5° and 13.8° alcohol, and they will be bottled in late spring, as I think they can take a slightly longer aging.” We then moved into the adjacent cellar, where I tasted his 2020 Mâcon wines, which I have moved to my small Mâconnais report, before broaching his Meursaults. I asked Lafon how he compared the 2019 and 2020 vintages. “The 2019s are slightly rounder and more appealing,” he told me. “The tartaric backbone of the 2020s gives them great energy. The 2019s remind me of old-time ripe vintages, maybe like the 1992.” [At this juncture, I asked to what vintage he would compare 2020, but he was stumped for an answer!] Lafon continued, “I think the 2020s are fresher than the 2018s. You feel more heat on the 2018s. Picking started on August 20 with the Bouchères and Perrières, and then we picked the reds, which were harvested very quickly.” Readers should also note that the 2020 Montrachet is the first vintage not completely vinified in new oak; around one-third was new this year, and there will be no new oak in 2021. The 2020s are excellent in quality, quite expressive and intense, full of Meursault DNA. Whereas I normally put the Meursault-Perrières on top, I feel that the earlier growing season did not benefit this Premier Cru as much, and instead the Meursault-Charmes is my pick of the bunch, with Genevrières hot on its tail and Bouchères the “hidden gem,” not that those exist given the status of Comtes-Lafon. Since 2014, all Lafon’s wines have been bottled under Diam 30 closures.

Try to imagine Meursault without Dominique Lafon? Difficult, isn’t it? I hope that day does not pass for a long time, though this year’s visit marked the beginning of a new chapter as Lafon was flanked by his nephew Pierre, who has returned from working for a Chicago distributor to commence the real learning at the domaine, alongside Lafon’s daughter Léa. Discussing the future, he told me that they had not really decided how responsibilities would be split and the plan is for them to spend the first years working jointly in all areas of running the winery and let the division come naturally. Dominique Lafon was in typically irrepressible form, loquacious and candid as ever, with the odd sprinkling of expletives. I had no pressing appointment afterwards, enabling me to spend over three hours tasting through the 2018 and 2019 vintages, plus his most recent Mâconnais wines from 2019 and a random older bottle that I parsed away for a Cellar Favourite.

Back to the main topic – the 2018 and 2019 vintages. “It was an early bud break,” Lafon explained. “Or is that the normal now? There was an early flowering that was not that good and led to the shortfall in crop. It was not caused by the rain. Maybe it was too warm? There was not much disease pressure during the warm and dry summer, so it was easy in that respect. We started harvesting on 5 September and at that time it was warm and that makes it hard for the pickers. The end of the ripening happened very fast. There was more than 1% additional potential alcohol in four days in some places. It was go, go, go. We had to move. The challenge was to organize the cellar to handle the incoming fruit, though the short crop helped. We picked fast just as we have just done in 2020, where there was a big crop. We finished picking around 14 September, whilst the Mâconnais wines took around a fortnight to pick. The fermentation in Mâconnais was difficult because the sugars were slow to finish whereas it was much smoother in Meursault. The 2019s in both Mâconnais and Meursault have more alcohol than in 2018, between 13.5° and 13.8° though nothing over 14.0°. It was not as hot as in 2018 but it was shortness of the crop that led to the concentration. The acidity levels are normal with pH around 3.2 to 3.5. The average yield in the Mâconnais was 40-45hl/ha compared to 60hl/ha in 2018, whilst in Meursault it was around 40hl/ha, though 25-30hl/ha for the reds. The 2019 reds are racked but not sulphured, the 2018 reds were bottled in late spring as I thought they could take a slightly longer ageing.”

This was an excellent set of wines from Dominique Lafon, who I would aver is currently making the best wines of a long career. The 2018 and 2019 vintages are closely matched in quality and arguing one set is superior is not easy, not least because one is comparing unfinished and finished wines. One thing I did take away was the quality of Lafon’s Meursault Porusots that shines in both vintages. We also discussed the reds at length. My palate errs towards the Champans and Clos des Chêne that tend to be more classically styled, whilst perhaps the more celebrated Santenots-du-Milieu is higher-toned with darker fruit and more obvious floral aromatics. I absolutely adored the Volnay 2019s that seemed to combine elegance and power to great effect. Among the range of Meursault Premier Crus, the Les Perrières is regal, the Les Charmes taking silver medal. Perhaps most interesting and an augury of things to come is the 2019 Montrachet, the last vintage to be matured in new oak for its entire élevage, the 2020 was racked into 50% new and 50% used oak. It will be fascinating to see the results and whether it will be continued. At the other end of the spectrum, I tasted nearly all of the Mâconnais wines under Les Hériters des Comtes Lafon and these represent outstanding value. Lafon remarked that even though they are higher in alcohol, they feel fresher. I plan a more in-depth report on the region in 2021 but since these wines are entering the market and tend to be consumed young, I include them here.

Try to imagine Meursault without Dominique Lafon? Difficult, isn’t it? I hope that day does not pass for a long time, though this year’s visit marked the beginning of a new chapter as Lafon was flanked by his nephew Pierre, who has returned from working for a Chicago distributor to commence the real learning at the domaine, alongside Lafon’s daughter Léa. Discussing the future, he told me that they had not really decided how responsibilities would be split and the plan is for them to spend the first years working jointly in all areas of running the winery and let the division come naturally. Dominique Lafon was in typically irrepressible form, loquacious and candid as ever, with the odd sprinkling of expletives. I had no pressing appointment afterwards, enabling me to spend over three hours tasting through the 2018 and 2019 vintages, plus his most recent Mâconnais wines from 2019 and a random older bottle that I parsed away for a Cellar Favourite.

Back to the main topic – the 2018 and 2019 vintages. “It was an early bud break,” Lafon explained. “Or is that the normal now? There was an early flowering that was not that good and led to the shortfall in crop. It was not caused by the rain. Maybe it was too warm? There was not much disease pressure during the warm and dry summer, so it was easy in that respect. We started harvesting on 5 September and at that time it was warm and that makes it hard for the pickers. The end of the ripening happened very fast. There was more than 1% additional potential alcohol in four days in some places. It was go, go, go. We had to move. The challenge was to organize the cellar to handle the incoming fruit, though the short crop helped. We picked fast just as we have just done in 2020, where there was a big crop. We finished picking around 14 September, whilst the Mâconnais wines took around a fortnight to pick. The fermentation in Mâconnais was difficult because the sugars were slow to finish whereas it was much smoother in Meursault. The 2019s in both Mâconnais and Meursault have more alcohol than in 2018, between 13.5° and 13.8° though nothing over 14.0°. It was not as hot as in 2018 but it was shortness of the crop that led to the concentration. The acidity levels are normal with pH around 3.2 to 3.5. The average yield in the Mâconnais was 40-45hl/ha compared to 60hl/ha in 2018, whilst in Meursault it was around 40hl/ha, though 25-30hl/ha for the reds. The 2019 reds are racked but not sulphured, the 2018 reds were bottled in late spring as I thought they could take a slightly longer ageing.”

This was an excellent set of wines from Dominique Lafon, who I would aver is currently making the best wines of a long career. The 2018 and 2019 vintages are closely matched in quality and arguing one set is superior is not easy, not least because one is comparing unfinished and finished wines. One thing I did take away was the quality of Lafon’s Meursault Porusots that shines in both vintages. We also discussed the reds at length. My palate errs towards the Champans and Clos des Chêne that tend to be more classically styled, whilst perhaps the more celebrated Santenots-du-Milieu is higher-toned with darker fruit and more obvious floral aromatics. I absolutely adored the Volnay 2019s that seemed to combine elegance and power to great effect. Among the range of Meursault Premier Crus, the Les Perrières is regal, the Les Charmes taking silver medal. Perhaps most interesting and an augury of things to come is the 2019 Montrachet, the last vintage to be matured in new oak for its entire élevage, the 2020 was racked into 50% new and 50% used oak. It will be fascinating to see the results and whether it will be continued. At the other end of the spectrum, I tasted nearly all of the Mâconnais wines under Les Hériters des Comtes Lafon and these represent outstanding value. Lafon remarked that even though they are higher in alcohol, they feel fresher. I plan a more in-depth report on the region in 2021 but since these wines are entering the market and tend to be consumed young, I include them here.

Dominique Lafon was a little tardy for our 2pm rendezvous. When he finally materialized he told me that he had been at the police station as his car had been stolen at lunchtime. I presume that the robbers were hoping there were a few bottles of Montrachet on the back seat. Once he had gathered himself, we set upon a fairly comprehensive tasting that included his Mâconnais, bottled at the end of July and end of August, as small compensation for being unable to cover the region this year, with several bottled 2017s. "The 2017 Volnays were bottled in early Spring but they were naturally clear. I do not like the effect of filtration and so none of them were filtered. The 2018 reds were cropped at 35-45hl/ha. I used 3gm/L of SO2 before Christmas and kept the wines at 23gm/L over the summer, adding 1gm before summer. The wines have not been racked, which is what we usually do if there is no reduction. The 2018 whites were harvested from 24 August."

Try to imagine Meursault without Dominique Lafon? Difficult, isn’t it? I hope that day does not pass for a long time, though this year’s visit marked the beginning of a new chapter as Lafon was flanked by his nephew Pierre, who has returned from working for a Chicago distributor to commence the real learning at the domaine, alongside Lafon’s daughter Léa. Discussing the future, he told me that they had not really decided how responsibilities would be split and the plan is for them to spend the first years working jointly in all areas of running the winery and let the division come naturally. Dominique Lafon was in typically irrepressible form, loquacious and candid as ever, with the odd sprinkling of expletives. I had no pressing appointment afterwards, enabling me to spend over three hours tasting through the 2018 and 2019 vintages, plus his most recent Mâconnais wines from 2019 and a random older bottle that I parsed away for a Cellar Favourite.

Back to the main topic – the 2018 and 2019 vintages. “It was an early bud break,” Lafon explained. “Or is that the normal now? There was an early flowering that was not that good and led to the shortfall in crop. It was not caused by the rain. Maybe it was too warm? There was not much disease pressure during the warm and dry summer, so it was easy in that respect. We started harvesting on 5 September and at that time it was warm and that makes it hard for the pickers. The end of the ripening happened very fast. There was more than 1% additional potential alcohol in four days in some places. It was go, go, go. We had to move. The challenge was to organize the cellar to handle the incoming fruit, though the short crop helped. We picked fast just as we have just done in 2020, where there was a big crop. We finished picking around 14 September, whilst the Mâconnais wines took around a fortnight to pick. The fermentation in Mâconnais was difficult because the sugars were slow to finish whereas it was much smoother in Meursault. The 2019s in both Mâconnais and Meursault have more alcohol than in 2018, between 13.5° and 13.8° though nothing over 14.0°. It was not as hot as in 2018 but it was shortness of the crop that led to the concentration. The acidity levels are normal with pH around 3.2 to 3.5. The average yield in the Mâconnais was 40-45hl/ha compared to 60hl/ha in 2018, whilst in Meursault it was around 40hl/ha, though 25-30hl/ha for the reds. The 2019 reds are racked but not sulphured, the 2018 reds were bottled in late spring as I thought they could take a slightly longer ageing.”

This was an excellent set of wines from Dominique Lafon, who I would aver is currently making the best wines of a long career. The 2018 and 2019 vintages are closely matched in quality and arguing one set is superior is not easy, not least because one is comparing unfinished and finished wines. One thing I did take away was the quality of Lafon’s Meursault Porusots that shines in both vintages. We also discussed the reds at length. My palate errs towards the Champans and Clos des Chêne that tend to be more classically styled, whilst perhaps the more celebrated Santenots-du-Milieu is higher-toned with darker fruit and more obvious floral aromatics. I absolutely adored the Volnay 2019s that seemed to combine elegance and power to great effect. Among the range of Meursault Premier Crus, the Les Perrières is regal, the Les Charmes taking silver medal. Perhaps most interesting and an augury of things to come is the 2019 Montrachet, the last vintage to be matured in new oak for its entire élevage, the 2020 was racked into 50% new and 50% used oak. It will be fascinating to see the results and whether it will be continued. At the other end of the spectrum, I tasted nearly all of the Mâconnais wines under Les Hériters des Comtes Lafon and these represent outstanding value. Lafon remarked that even though they are higher in alcohol, they feel fresher. I plan a more in-depth report on the region in 2021 but since these wines are entering the market and tend to be consumed young, I include them here.

Dominique Lafon was a little tardy for our 2pm rendezvous. When he finally materialized he told me that he had been at the police station as his car had been stolen at lunchtime. I presume that the robbers were hoping there were a few bottles of Montrachet on the back seat. Once he had gathered himself, we set upon a fairly comprehensive tasting that included his Mâconnais, bottled at the end of July and end of August, as small compensation for being unable to cover the region this year, with several bottled 2017s. "The 2017 Volnays were bottled in early Spring but they were naturally clear. I do not like the effect of filtration and so none of them were filtered. The 2018 reds were cropped at 35-45hl/ha. I used 3gm/L of SO2 before Christmas and kept the wines at 23gm/L over the summer, adding 1gm before summer. The wines have not been racked, which is what we usually do if there is no reduction. The 2018 whites were harvested from 24 August."

Dominique Lafon, who started harvesting on September 19 and lost two-thirds of his normal Pinot Noir production in 2016, planned to move “even his big wines” into tanks by December or January and bottle them a bit earlier than usual. He described pHs as normal and acidity levels as lower than in 2015, but finds the '16s very fresh. He harvested between 12.5% and 12.8% potential alcohol, destemmed all of his fruit and chaptalized lightly.

Lafon told me that he rates 2016 and 2015 roughly the same for red wines. “Two thousand fifteen is everybody’s red Burgundy vintage because it has all the elements of a great year, including a lot of dry extract, which is a bonus. But I plan to cellar more 2016s for their elegance. And certainly the ‘16s have the fruit and balance for a long life in bottle.” Lafon noted that his 2015s have fairly high acidity (and pHs similar to those in 2010 and 2005) but that it’s covered by the intensity and richness of the fruit. But he emphasized that the ‘15s are riper than the 2005s. Lafon now uses Diam 30 closures for all of his wines, despite the fact that he feared his 2015 reds would quickly shut down in bottle. But he told me that his early impression of the wines is that they’re more focused and precise, with very clean fruit, and that the wines haven’t gone into reduction.

Dominique Lafon, who started harvesting on September 19 and lost two-thirds of his normal Pinot Noir production in 2016, planned to move “even his big wines” into tanks by December or January and bottle them a bit earlier than usual. He described pHs as normal and acidity levels as lower than in 2015, but finds the '16s very fresh. He harvested between 12.5% and 12.8% potential alcohol, destemmed all of his fruit and chaptalized lightly.

Lafon told me that he rates 2016 and 2015 roughly the same for red wines. “Two thousand fifteen is everybody’s red Burgundy vintage because it has all the elements of a great year, including a lot of dry extract, which is a bonus. But I plan to cellar more 2016s for their elegance. And certainly the ‘16s have the fruit and balance for a long life in bottle.” Lafon noted that his 2015s have fairly high acidity (and pHs similar to those in 2010 and 2005) but that it’s covered by the intensity and richness of the fruit. But he emphasized that the ‘15s are riper than the 2005s. Lafon now uses Diam 30 closures for all of his wines, despite the fact that he feared his 2015 reds would quickly shut down in bottle. But he told me that his early impression of the wines is that they’re more focused and precise, with very clean fruit, and that the wines haven’t gone into reduction.

Dominique Lafon quoted the old saw, “Early harvest, pick early; late harvest, pick late,” noting that when the fruit ripens at the end of August everything is speeded up because there’s an hour more of light then there would be barely three weeks later. In fact, he noted that in his Oregon ventures, he typically harvests at a relatively low 22 to 22.5 degrees Brix. “Most growers pick with their fruit two degrees higher, with more shriveled grapes,” he told me. “But with 14% alcohol and pruney flavors, there’s less fluidity in those wines.”

In fact, in a couple recent vintages at Domaine Lafon, I’ve found some very ripe, thick Volnays that verge on extreme, but not in 2015 or 2014. In 2015, Lafon started harvesting his Pinot Noir vines on August 31. He worked with a high percentage of whole berries and carried out a very light extraction—just three punchdowns per cuvée. The malos finished in February and March—which Lafon described as “early for us”—and pHs are healthy at 3.35 to 3.4. The wines had been sulfured but were still on their lees, unracked, in mid-November.

The 2015s are outstanding but I love the ‘14s for their elegance and lightness,” said Dominique Lafon in November. Yields were very low in 2014 due to the hail but the wines have turned out very well.

The 2015s are outstanding but I love the ‘14s for their elegance and lightness,” said Dominique Lafon in November Yields were very low in 2014 due to the hail but the wines have turned out very well

"No comment" was Dominique Lafon’s shorthand description of the 2014 vintage."It’s a vintage that has everything, with nothing out of place or excessive. ” He brought in his Pinot Noir with grape sugars in the 12. 5% range and chaptalized “less than 0. 3%. ” The wines finished their malos very early, in January and February, and Lafon planned to bottle them next spring, a bit earlier than usual. Except for his Monthélie-Les Duresses, the '14s were still on their lees, unracked, when I sampled them in November.

Dominique Lafon told me that his Volnay vineyards were much less affected by hail in 2013 than in 2014; in fact, he said, 2012 was the most hailed-on vintage of the trio. Lafon uses one-third new oak for his red premier crus and has bottled all of the Domaine Lafon wines, whites as well as reds, with the top-of-the-line DIAM 30 corks since 2013 (he uses DIAM 10s for his Mâconnais wines). While he does not believe that his 2014 reds will close down, he’s not as sure about these 2013s, which are very concentrated wines made from tiny crop levels.

Dominique Lafon picked his Pinot Noir between October 2 and 5 in 2013, which was probably the sweet spot for the harvest, at least for those growers who had reasonably ripe fruit by then. Lafon told me he eliminated the dried grapes on the sorting table. As in 2012, yields in '13 were tiny and the wines are quite concentrated. Grape sugars ranged from 12% to 12.5% and Lafon chaptalized about 0.5%. I found plenty of ripeness in these '13s, but the wines also have healthy pHs in the 3.35 range. The malos were very late, with some barrels only finishing after the 2014 harvest.

Dominique Lafon made tiny quantities of very ripe wine in 2012, noting that "we had to push the ripeness farther in this hail year in order to get riper, less harsh tannins." He bottled the '12s very late, in July of 2014, and the Volnay Clos des Chênes was done entirely in magnums.

"I don't like this vintage because we don't have enough of it," said Dominique Lafon about the 2012 reds. In fact, production was tiny, with the Volnay Champans producing the healthiest yield at just 18 hectoliters per hectare and also coming in with potential alcohol of 13%. Lafon did just three or four punchdowns per cuvee. He described the 2012s as "very concentrated wines with good fruit and nice balance--between 2011 and 2010 in acidity." Like a number of his colleagues, he pointed out that the wines have gotten rounder and smoother with elevage. Still, he added, the 2011s are more refined. (Classic Wine Imports, www.classicwineimports.com; also a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com)

Dominique Lafon, who now farms 21 hectares of vines on the Cote de Beaune, told me that "not one vineyard was untouched by hail in 2011."But it was a simple matter to eliminate the dried berries at harvest, he said, since they "fell very easily," and there were virtually no rotten or underripe grapes when Lafon started picking his pinot at the beginning of September.The malos finished by mid-January (in some cases, before the 2010s finished!), at which point the wines were sulfited but not racked.The pHs today are in the healthy 3.4 range, although Lafon pointed out that the wines taste even fresher than the numbers would suggest because the fruit in 2011 was crunchy and not overripe."This quality accentuates the acidity of the wines, which is average," he explained.Lafon continues to reduce his number of punchdowns--to a total of just three to five per cuvee for the '11s. (Classic Wine Imports, www.classicwineimports.com; also a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com)

Dominique Lafon describes 2010 as "a lovely and Burgundian vintage," with rather high acidiy. "The wines remind me a bit of the 2005s, but with a bit less power." The pHs of 3.25 to 3.31 were lower than normal. Lafon is now down to about five or six "gentle pigeages per cuvee." None of the 2010s had been racked by the time of my November visit, and some barrels had not finished their malolactic fermentation. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; A Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

Dominique Lafon started his harvest by picking chardonnay on September 7, figuring the pinot noir could wait. But with sugars mounting quickly under very warm conditions (the Volnay leaped from 11.5% potential alcohol to 13.5% in a week), he turned to pinot on September 11, hiring more pickers and harvesting in a rush. The result is a smooth, showy, lush group of '09s that will almost certainly be best for early to mid-term drinking. The wines show a liqueur-like ripeness and richness, yet manage to display more terroir character than some of the more extreme wines I tasted on the Cote de Nuits. The Monthelie and the Volnay had just been assembled in tank at the time of my early November visit. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

Two thousand eight brought a miserable crop in Volnay, and the smallest production in his experience, reported Dominique Lafon, with the hailstorm in late July a major factor. So was dehydration of the fruit in September. The Volnay fruit ripened eventually, but Lafon did not finish picking his reds until early October, getting 13+% grape sugars but losing what he described as one-third of the volume due to loss of water in the grapes. Lafon cut way back on pigeage for fear of getting green tannins because of the hail. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY) Also recommended: Mont helie Les Duresses (86).

Two thousand eight brought a miserable crop in Volnay, and the smallest production in his experience, reported Dominique Lafon, with the hailstorm in late July a major factor. So was dehydration of the fruit in September. The Volnay fruit ripened eventually, but Lafon did not finish picking his reds until early October, getting 13+% grape sugars but losing what he described as one-third of the volume due to loss of water in the grapes. Lafon cut way back on pigeage for fear of getting green tannins because of the hail. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY) Also recommended: Mont helie Les Duresses (86).

Dominique Lafon describes the 2007s and 2006s as very different in style. "The 2006s are leaner, higher in acid and more elegant," he explained, "while the 2007s are rounder and softer, with considerably higher pHs." The 2006s were racked only for the bottling, but Lafon carried out a gentle racking of the 2007s prior to the 2008 harvest to eliminate aromas of reduction that emerged during the late malos in the summer. The wines also had high levels of CO2 due to the substantial malic acidity in the grapes at the outset, but Lafon kept a good bit of the gas after the racking in order to protect the wines. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

Dominique Lafon describes the 2007s and 2006s as very different in style. "The 2006s are leaner, higher in acid and more elegant," he explained, "while the 2007s are rounder and softer, with considerably higher pHs." The 2006s were racked only for the bottling, but Lafon carried out a gentle racking of the 2007s prior to the 2008 harvest to eliminate aromas of reduction that emerged during the late malos in the summer. The wines also had high levels of CO2 due to the substantial malic acidity in the grapes at the outset, but Lafon kept a good bit of the gas after the racking in order to protect the wines. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

Dominique Lafon picked his chardonnay early, then stopped for four days and started harvesting the pinot noir on September 25. He told me he got better ripeness but not more rot as a result of waiting, but admitted that there was "a bit of work to do" on the sorting table for the Auxey-Duresses. He did less pigeage for his Auxey-Duresses and Volnay villages as he was more concerned with getting fruit than structure. Not surprisingly, Lafon's 2005 Volnay Santenots is one of the most impressive Cote de Beaune reds of this very strong vintage. Lafon described it as the best red wine he's ever made, and it's hard to disagree with that assessment. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

This wine was tasted over dinner at Bistrot du Bord de l’Eau and was featured in Wine & Food, June 2013.

Dominique Lafon picked his chardonnay early, then stopped for four days and started harvesting the pinot noir on September 25. He told me he got better ripeness but not more rot as a result of waiting, but admitted that there was "a bit of work to do" on the sorting table for the Auxey-Duresses. He did less pigeage for his Auxey-Duresses and Volnay villages as he was more concerned with getting fruit than structure. Not surprisingly, Lafon's 2005 Volnay Santenots is one of the most impressive Cote de Beaune reds of this very strong vintage. Lafon described it as the best red wine he's ever made, and it's hard to disagree with that assessment. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

I practically had to walk to my visit here on a Saturday afternoon due to a half-marathon that had the streets blocked and the village of Meursault virtually cut off from the outside world (no one noticed) for a few hours. Fortunately, neither Dominique Lafon nor I were among the runners. Lafon continues to do less and less pigeage, as he's looking for a longer and softer maceration in search of more refined tannins. The malos went very slowly in 2005, and Lafon had moved some of the wine that had not yet finished its secondary fermentation into tank. But even the lots that had finished showed brisk acidity and sharp detail. Lafon told me that his 2005s have "almost the acidity of 1996 but with more fruit and more roundness." That would appear to be a perfect formula for slowly evolving, long-lived and complex wines. Although Lafon picked his chardonnay early-a good idea, by the way-he said his harvest dates for pinot noir were about average for Volnay. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

I practically had to walk to my visit here on a Saturday afternoon due to a half-marathon that had the streets blocked and the village of Meursault virtually cut off from the outside world (no one noticed) for a few hours. Fortunately, neither Dominique Lafon nor I were among the runners. Lafon continues to do less and less pigeage, as he's looking for a longer and softer maceration in search of more refined tannins. The malos went very slowly in 2005, and Lafon had moved some of the wine that had not yet finished its secondary fermentation into tank. But even the lots that had finished showed brisk acidity and sharp detail. Lafon told me that his 2005s have "almost the acidity of 1996 but with more fruit and more roundness." That would appear to be a perfect formula for slowly evolving, long-lived and complex wines. Although Lafon picked his chardonnay early-a good idea, by the way-he said his harvest dates for pinot noir were about average for Volnay. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; a Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

Dominique Lafon did very little pigeage for his Monthelie in 2004, because the tannins of this wine tend to turn hard quickly, and a bit less punching down than usual for his Volnays-basically one pigeage in the morning and one remontage in the afternoon. Some of the 2004 barrels were still finishing their malos in mid-November. Lafon did not acidify his 2003s, choosing instead to work with much less oxidative influence (in comparison, the 2004s got a bit more aeration than usual during the racking). The earlier set of wines was bottled with an edge of reduction (as well as a good bit of CO2), so impatient drinkers should be sure to decant their bottles prior to serving them.

Dominique Lafon did very little pigeage for his Monthelie in 2004, because the tannins of this wine tend to turn hard quickly, and a bit less punching down than usual for his Volnays-basically one pigeage in the morning and one remontage in the afternoon. Some of the 2004 barrels were still finishing their malos in mid-November. Lafon did not acidify his 2003s, choosing instead to work with much less oxidative influence (in comparison, the 2004s got a bit more aeration than usual during the racking). The earlier set of wines was bottled with an edge of reduction (as well as a good bit of CO2), so impatient drinkers should be sure to decant their bottles prior to serving them.

Dominique Lafon carried out a three-week cuvaison, which he described as "at least as long as ever at the estate," but for the first time he did not do a single punchdown of the cap."With no pigeage and a high percentage of small berries, the fermentations took forever," he told me.

Dominique Lafon carried out a three-week cuvaison, which he described as "at least as long as ever at the estate," but for the first time he did not do a single punchdown of the cap."With no pigeage and a high percentage of small berries, the fermentations took forever," he told me.

The 20th century went out with a bang for red Burgundy lovers, with the 1999 vintage producing copious quantities of excellent to outstanding wine.

From the outset, the 1999 red Burgundies offered a rare combination of charm and power. Most of the better wines were balanced and alluring from the start, but they are evolving very slowly and still have plenty of life ahead of them. While many of the ‘99s I sampled with the producers this winter have gone through sullen stages in bottle, most of them have launched into their periods of peak drinkability. If you own these wines – and especially if you chose wisely at the outset – you will be amply rewarded.