Tasting Notes

WA93

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.

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