Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru has a beautifully refined bouquet with real drive—the most complex of their Premier Crus. Touches of crushed stone infuse the citrus fruit, revealing further hints of praline and grilled walnut. The palate is very saline on the entry, countering the richness in this Perrières. Touches of peach and tangerine dovetail into a lightly spiced finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is a step above the 2022. It is a riveting Meursault that will give many years of drinking pleasure.
Barrel Sample: 95-07 -
Decanter
The 2023 Perrières from Lafon shines as one of the best whites of the village, even at this early stage of its maturation. There are abundant aromas of ripe apple and Mirabelle plums, hints of hawthorn flowers, spice, a sheen of smoky reduction and a mineral accent. It is a wine of concentration and depth, with impressive extract and enough acidity to bring everything into balance. A portion of Lafon's vineyards in Perrières Dessous and Perrières Dessus has been replanted but this is from only the old vines, bringing the wine even more power.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Derived exclusively from the domaine's old vines, the 2023 Meursault 1er Cru Perrières unwinds in the glass with notes of pear, orange oil, white flowers and citrus zest, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive palate. This is the raciest, most mineral wine in the Lafon cellar this year.
Barrel Sample: 94-96
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.