2007 Montrachet Grand Cru

Dominique Lafon was taking a wait-and-see attitude on the 2008s as of the end of May. "It was a very small crop and the wines are almost too concentrated," he told me, adding "I never like my wines before the malos. And in 2008 in particular, the acidity and the sugar were struggling with each other in the early going." Lafon describes 2007 as offering a rare combination of high acids and ripe fruit but notes that due to the small crop the 2008s are even bigger wines. "The 2008s will be more dramatic than the 2007s," he offered, "but 2007 is a great year for Meursault, one of my favorites." My notes below are only on 2008 barrels that had finished their malos, but these notes must be considered as approximations since most samples came from new barriques. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; also a Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)

Lafon picked chardonnay on the late side in 2007, after the pinot. In fact, he describes 2007 as a complicated year: "like a late-picked vintage style for chardonnay but an early-picked style for pinot noir. I wasn't expecting such ripeness in the white wines." Potential alcohols were in the 12.6% to 13.3% range in chardonnay and acidity levels are quite sound, he added: "The wines are more about length than thickness." Incidentally, Lafon is a fan of the 2006s, which he believes he picked at the right time. "I love the 2000s and the 2006s for their elegance," he told me, noting that he prefers '06 to '05, which he finds almost too big. (Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; also a Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)