2013 Meursault Désirée

Dominique Lafon had not yet bottled his 2013s at the end of May as the malolactic fermentations were unusually long, but most of the wines had been resting in tank since January or February. Lafon believes the village wines are good and that "some premier crus are tremendous. They have sound acidity and show good tightness today. And they're more refined than the village wines." As of 2013, Lafon has gone entirely to DIAM corks.

Lafon was an early harvester in 2014, starting on September 10. Potential alcohol levels ranged between 12.5% and 13% but crop levels were off dramatically in most of his Meursault parcels. With low yields, though, came an extra measure of concentration.

Like many of his colleagues on the Cote de Beaune, Dominique Lafon has experienced two lean years with 2013 and 2012, producing 22 hectoliters per hectare in '13 and between 15 and 25 for chardonnay in '12. He told me that the 2013 premier crus convey a feeling of acidity and that they remind him of his "crystal-clear" 2010s. The 2012s, in comparison, are more minerally wines, "dense and balanced." Lafon pointed out that the 2012s gained from fining: "they were rocks before that." Incidentally, among the steps Lafon has taken in recent years to avoid premature oxidation of his wines, he now allows 10% of the juice in the press to brown. He then racks it clear, sulfurs it and adds it to the tank. I have provided a new set of single-score notes for the 2012s, but please note that some of these wines were still in tank, awaiting bottling the week after my visit. (Classic Wine Imports, www.classicwineimports.com; also a Daniel Johnnes selection, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com)