Domaine des Comtes Lafon is a historical domaine of Meursault village in Burgundy. Dominique Lafon, was one of the first in Meursault who converted a domaine to biodynamic farming in 1990, but without certification. Domaine covers 16.3 hectares of vineyards and includes 15 appellations.

Top wines of the domaine are: Montrachet Grand Cru, Meursault Premier Cru Charmes, Meursault Premier Cru Perrières. Montrachet Grand Cru 2014 scored 98, Meursault Premier Cru Charmes 1989 scored 98, Meursault Premier Cru Perrières 1989 scored 97 scored by the Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker comments on Montrachet Grand Cru 2014: “Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting, the 2014 Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine des Comtes Lafon has a clean and fresh bouquet, perhaps just a bit too much lime for my liking, although there is mineralité tucked in just behind. The palate is fresh and saline on the entry with a superb line of acidity. There is weight and presence to this Montrachet, and it gains weight and delivers a knockout, extremely persistent finish tinged with lemon thyme and sherbet. Though a little disjointed at present, I suspect this will turn into a wonderful Montrachet with style and class. But be warned that it will require several years in bottle.”

Since 1985 Domaine des Comtes Lafon has been managed by Dominique Lafon. Dominique Lafon recovered all the domains’ vineyards after the share-cropping contracts, concluded by his grandfather Henri Lafon. Henri Lafon might have sold the whole estate, but his son René Lafon took over the estate in 1956 and started to replant the vines and to bottle the wines under the domains’ name.

The founder of the domaine is considered to be Comte Jules Lafon, who married Mademoiselle Marie Boch in 1894 and started a merchants business and small estate in Meursault which is still the main domaine’s estate today. Comte Jules Lafon greatly expanded the vineyards of the domaine in Meursault and Volnay and acquired Le Montrachet vineyard in 1919. He had also revived a tradition of celebrating the end of the harvest with a meal, which is widely known now as ‘Paulée de Meursault’.

Dominique Lafon continues the tradition of his great-grandfather and expands the domaines’ territories. In 1999 the Lafons bought a domaine in the Maconnais at Milly-Lamartine and sells its wines under the label of Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon. In 2011, together with Domaine Roulot, Dominique Lafon also acquired the former Domaine René Manuel, which contributed two new premiers crus, Poruzots and Bouchéres.

Dominique’s Lafon daughter Léa and nephew Pierre Lafon have recently joined the domaine.

Domaine des Comtes Lafon had been converted to biodynamic farming since 1990. Fertilizers are not used, only amendments in the form of compost, produced together with other winegrowers. Harvesting is conducted manually, after numerous ripeness checks. The first sorting is done in the vineyard by the pickers, the second is conducted by a sorting table in the vat room if necessary.

The pressings are done with two open-cage pneumatic presses. The white wines are whole-bunch pressed, then settled in the tank for 24 hours. The juices are then cooled in a temperature-controlled stainless steel tank at around 12° C. Fermentation starts after 4 to 6 days without using selected yeasts, temperatures do not exceed 22 to 24°C. Malolactic fermentation generally begins in January and normally ends no later than May. In July the first racking is conducted.

Ageing lasts 18 to 22 months, after which the second racking before bottling is conducted.

No new oak is used for the village wines; for Chorines and Perrières new wood is 70 percent; less for Genevrieres and 100 percent for Le Montrachet.

For the red wines, grapes are wholly destemmed and vinified in stainless-steel vats. Fermentation starts after 4 to 6 days of maceration. After 15 to 20 days of maceration devatting and pressing are conducted. The wines are placed in barrels by gravity, with the proportion of new barrels about 30 percent. Malolactic fermentation generally starts between March and May. The wines are racked for the first time after malolactic fermentation between June and September. Ageing lasts 18 to 22 months.

DIAM closures since the 2013 vintage have been used.