Reviews & Scores
A cool and ripe mix is composed by an array of both white and yellow orchard fruit and a beautiful array of spice elements, all of which is trimmed in discreet wood influence. This is a big but not massive wine as the flavors are sculpted and intense while offering a highly beguiling texture on the powerful and muscular finish that is phenomenally long. The Perrières is stunningly good but this possesses another dimension. One of the wines of the vintage. *Burghound Don't Miss!* - BH
BH98June 2021
Unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, citrus oil, mandarin orange, ripe peaches, freshly baked bread and clear honey, Lafon's 2019 Montrachet Grand Cru is full-bodied, elegantly muscular and layered, with a deep and prodigiously concentrated core, striking mid-palate amplitude and a long, lip-smacking finish. In any comparison between the triumvirate of 2017, 2018, and 2019, I can see this, the youngest of the three, taking first place a decade from now. Dominique Lafon—joined by daughter Léa and nephew Pierre—began picking on September 5 and was very upbeat about the quality of the 2019 vintage, reporting yields in the region of 40 hectoliters per hectare and alcohol levels in the upper 13s. Both more concentrated and more incisive in white and finer-boned and more elegant in red, I'd give the nod to 2019 over 2018 in both colors at this address. And that is quite a compliment, as Lafon really excelled in 2018. In short, as Dominique hands the reins to the next generation, it's fair to say that the Domaine des Comtes Lafon is in very fine shape indeed. (WK) - WA
WA98January 2021
There are four-and-a-half barrels – or, to be exact, three pièces and one 350-liter puncheon – of the 2019 Montrachet Grand Cru this year, compared to the usual six or seven. More significantly, Dominique Lafon told me that the 2019 is the final vintage to be raised entirely in new oak before being racked into used oak after 12 months, the 2020 being matured in 50% new and 50% used oak. This new direction is partly influenced by his son and daughter taking the first steps in directing the domaine and Lafon, to use his own words, questioning his modus operandi and trying a new approach. The tender, fragrant bouquet offers white peach and glimpses of white chocolate and saffron, displaying wonderful mineralité and precision. The harmonious palate is well balanced with fine tension and a subtle and not unwelcome creaminess to the texture. Lightly spiced, offering crushed rock and hints of tangerine, this is a beautifully composed Montrachet that lingers seductively in the mouth. Aristocratic. (NM) - VM
VM98December 2020
Lafon's third of a hectare parcel in the south-east corner of Montrachet on the Chassagne side faces south, and the wine produced is often voluptuously rich. The 2019, however, seemed to stand apart for the lovely lemony fruit on the initial attack that developed in time to something a bit more tropical. Marked still by a bit of oak spice that complements without overwhelming the nuanced fruit character. The texture is lush almost to the point of decadence, but balance is retained thanks to a lively line of fresh acidity. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039. (CC) - DC
DC99October 2020