2008 Montrachet Grand Cru

Dominique Lafon was one of several producers who had me taste 2008s before 2009s, even if a few wines from the earlier vintage had not yet been bottled. He describes the 2008s as "weightier than the 2007s but with similar acid lift. The wines have fleshy middles but share the citrus and mineral finishes of the 2007s." Since 2006 Lafon has been working with more of the lees (he now brings seven or eight liters of lees into the barrels for aging) and he believes this helps his wines ferment to dryness, results in a bit more reduction, and plays a role in preventing oxidation. Lafon started harvesting on September 7 in 2009, pointing out that there had been some rainfall three days before that. He believes that 2009 is a great year for whites and very good for reds: "Like most of our neighbors, we picked chardonnay first and then pinot. This was good for chardonnay but not so good for pinot." Nowadays Lafon avoids stirring the lees, except when the wines are getting too reduced. On the subject of evolution of his wines, Lafon admitted to me that due to the big crop in 1999, he had a shortage of barrels, and therefore got rid of more of the bourbes simply for space reasons. This raised the odds of premature oxidation in these wines. The 2000s here, in contrast, are generally in fine form, with little sign of premox. I tasted a bottle of 2002 Charmes with Lafon. It showed a distinct baked bread and toffee character but also was slightly reduced. It was clearly in an awkward phase: tasters predisposed toward finding premature oxidation might have tossed this one but I would have liked the chance to follow it. It certainly spread out to saturate the palate. And a bottle of the 1994 Charmes was drinking perfectly but was in no danger of going over the hill anytime soon.(Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; also a Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)