Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming largely from 70-, 40- and 15-year old vines, and treated to around half new barrels, Lafon’s 2006 Meursault Charmes is both more open-knit and more overtly chalky and creamy than its stable mates, but displays notable polish and subtlety. Its nose of diverse citrus and pit fruits is tinged with notes of toast and vanilla. The finish here really “Charms”, enveloping and fanning out expansively, with no let up in sweetness of fruit or suggestions of crushed stone. “Honestly,” Lafon remarks, “when you taste wine from the 70 year old vines before racking, it’s just so lean and so mineral that on its own it’s almost undrinkable, too tough” and benefits from “a portion of young vines which is always much more up-front.” Expect this to be worth following for at least 8-10 years. The spicy, subtly bitter 2005 is polished and well-concentrated, but betrays extraneous hints of barrel and heat, and was outclassed by its siblings on both occasions when I tasted it.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known to offer a magical balance of smoothness and freshness, Meursault's quality is hard to rival. The village lies in the middle of Côte de Beaune, just south of Volnay. Meursault is said to mean “mouse’s jump” because in the past the plots producing Pinot Noir and those producing Chardonnay were no more than a mouse’s jump from one another. Today the village is almost exclusively Chardonnay. A tiny bit of Pinot Noir is produced here with the best coming from Les Santenots on its northern side near Volnay.
While there are no Grands Crus, Meursault’s numerous acclaimed Premiers Crus can compete with any other top-notch white Burgundy. Some to know are Les Perrières, Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Le Poruzot, Les Bouchères and Les Gouttes d’Or.
Meursault produces outstanding village level wines as well. In general great Premiers Crus and even village level Meursault (Chardonnay) have enticing aromas of lime peel, tropical fruit, crushed rocks, spice and hazelnut. On the palate there is a wonderful balance of brightness and a seductive length with flavors of white peach, pineapple and citrus.