Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Montrachet Grand Cru 2011

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Montrachet Grand Cru 2011 from Dominique Lafon is most austere on the nose. Sure, this feels very reserved, but there is real precision and minerality that is locked in for now. The palate has a dose of bitter lemon on the entry. This is a little shrill at the moment with plenty of lime and orange zest notes. It is very well balanced but not quite as complex or as regal as its peers in this flight and there is a slight oxidative note creeping in on the finish. This does not quite match its stellar showing just after bottling, but I suspect that it simply needs time to settle.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind, the 2011 Montrachet Grand Cru has opened up since I last tasted a bottle (also blind) offering glimpses of honeysuckle and beeswax, even a hint of dried pineapple with time. It feels fresh, effervescent even. The palate is underpinned by a fine thread of acidity, and this time I did not detect any oxidative notes towards the finish, although it did come across as quite "creamy" with accentuated oakiness that suggests it deserves 3-4 more years to reach its plateau. As before, I remain cautious with my assessment. Tasted October 2016.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2011 Montrachet Grand Cru was one of the last to be picked. There are just five barrels, minus the bottle that Dominique sequestered for his fish supper. It is understated at first, but blossoms with aeration offering apricot, hints of passion fruit, cold limestone and eventually Turkish Delight. The palate is extremely well-balanced, pure and focused with orange peel, marmalade, quince and a suggestion of white chocolate. It is extremely intense with an enormously long tail on the finish. This is utterly entrancing: a Montrachet that justifies the reputation of the name. Drink now-2030. It was great to see Dominique Lafon three weeks after meeting him in Macon, this time back in Meursault. That semi-pornographic, licentious wine advertisement still hung on the office wall (those that have been there know what I mean) and a cigarette butt drooped from Dominique’s mouth, possibly the same one he lit when I bid him farewell back in Macon. If you added up all the charisma and charm in Bordeaux it still would amount to less than Dominique Lafon. I have tasted at this address for over a decade, but this marked the first time I had been presented his complete set of Premier Cru Meursault wines since his acquisition from Domaine Manuel with Jean-Marc Roulot. He remarked that possibly with the exception of a negociant, he is the only vigneron with all six top-tier Premier Crus south of the village. Dominique opened his full range of 2011s, including the Montrachet, which he avowed to polish off with a fish supper that night. How I would have loved to join him. Needless to say, this was an exemplary set of 2011s that do not disappoint. While like many others he concedes that 2010s have the upper hand and are likely to outlive them, he admires the 2011s for their approachability and charm. Importer: Becky Wassermann Selections (Le Serbet); www.leserbet.com