Domaine des Héritiers du Comte Lafon, serious Mâcon that doesn’t break the bank

LafonWe cast an eye on Domaine des Héritiers du Comte Lafon. Laid out to biodynamics, Dominique Lafon’s Mâconnais operation offers affordable and finely crafted Chardonnays.

The history of this domain begins with a marriage. At the close of the 20th century, Jules Joseph Barthélémy Lafon, a lawyer at the time, married Marie Boch whose parents were négociants in Burgundy. Jules later became mayor of Meursault and in 1923 he revived the ‘Paulée de Meursault’, a tradition of celebrating the end of the grape harvest with a meal. In 1931, he stepped down from his civic duties to devote himself fully to his Comtes Lafon vineyard which, over time, he expanded. After his death, Jules’ vines were leased out under sharecropping agreements until 1956 when René Lafon, Jules’ grandson, took over. René replanted many of the vines and began to bottle the wines himself. In 1984, the baton was passed over to his son, Dominique Lafon. It was he who bought the domain in the Mâconnais that now bears the Lafon name: Domaine des Héritiers du Comte Lafon (meaning domain of the heirs of Comte Lafon). Dominique entrusts the running of the domain to Caroline Gon (who also owns Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau) under his supervision.

The vineyard spans 26 hectares and is divided into three main sectors: the historic part of the domain at Milly-Lamartine and Bussières; Clos du Four and Viré-Clessé. Today the domain also produces wine from vines in the Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé AOC. Just like the Lafon domain in Meursault, the vines are cultivated according to organic and biodynamic methods (without certification) and have been since 2003.

The chai is a ‘hands off’ affair and wines are vinified traditionally on a plot by plot basis before being matured in oak barrels of various sizes.

The wines of Domaine de Héritiers du Comte Lafon have showed continual progression and have reached a very good level while remaining reasonably priced to the point that today they are recognised as one of the sound investments of the Mâconnais. Tender, sharp, straight, crystalline, sapid and refined, these wines are lauded for their great ageing potential.

The wines from Domaine des Héritiers du Comte Lafon

Mâcon Milly-Lamartine 2015:

A lively, citrus Mâcon. Ideal with fish and seafood such as scallops.

Mâcon Clos de la Crochette 2015:

Pale in colour (yellow), the Clos de la Crochette expresses aromas of citrus, butter and flowers on the nose. The palate is ample and shows good acidity while the finish is long.

Mâcon Uchizy Les Maranches 2015:

The Mâcon Uchizy Les Maranches has a yellow hue and a fruity bouquet (peach and citrus) with floral notes. The mouth is ample and fat with a certain minerality.

 Mâcon Bussières – Le Monsard 2015:

The Bussières – Le Monsard cuvée has a fruit forward nose with aromas of white fleshed fruit (apple, peach) and flowers (acacia). It also has light mineral notes (flint). The mouth is dense with good acidity and a long finish.

Mâcon Milly-Lamartine Clos du Four 2015:

The Clos du Four is pale yellow in colour and boasts an expressive nose with aromas of citrus, butter and hazelnut. In the mouth it is pleasingly ample and shows good acidity, complemented by a long finish.

Viré-Clessé 2015:

The Viré-Clessé has a beautiful and slightly clear straw yellow colour. The nose offers up aromas of exotic fruit and flowers while the mouth is rounded with good acidity and notes of passion fruit. The finish is fresh.

See all the wines from Domaine des Héritiers du Comte Lafon currently on sale on iDealwine

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