Dominique Lafon's Héritiers 2018 – 'Taut, juicy and utterly drinkable'
Arguably one of the best and most famous vignerons in Burgundy, Dominique Lafon's biodynamic domaine has become the hallmark for quality in Mâcon. Applying the same philosophy in the vineyards and cellar as at Comtes Lafon, he crafts Mâconnais whites that rival some of their Côte d'Or neighbours. Héritiers du Comte Lafon's 2018s show incredible verve and fruit purity reminiscent of cru Chablis.
The Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine 2018 is electric! This late-ripening vineyard sits at 400m altitude in the southernmost part of the Mâconnais. The 30 – 35-year-old vines grow on rocky, chalk-clay soils and are harvested 2 weeks later than Clos de la Crochette in the north. This terroir adds to the wine's tension and freshness. This vivacity underscores the concentration of fruit, the creamy, textured mid-palate and mineral core perfectly. This is a quintessential white Burgundy that won't break the bank.
'The intense and highly energetic flavors possess excellent delineation, indeed they're chiseled, before culminating in a bone-dry grapefruit-inflected finish.' – Allen Meadows
Like the Côte d'Or, the Mâconnais was blessed with near-ideal conditions in 2018. It was a warm, dry growing season and Tim Atkin MW writes, 'Burgundy 2018 could become one of the region's all-time great vintages.' Whilst some anticipated viscous wines with low acid levels on the whites, winemakers and critics alike were delighted by the final result. 'The whites have great tension and freshness, which I was not expecting,' says Dominique Lafon. 'This can be attributed to the versatility of Chardonnay, fabulous terroirs, and… upsurge in talented winemakers seeking to capture tension, acidity and mineralité,' notes Neal Martin.
To browse the full range of Héritiers du Comte Lafon, please see here.
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