Sarah Marsh MW
DOMAINE DES COMTES LAFON White
Dominique Lafon has passed on the management of the family domaine to his daughter Lea and nephew Pierre. 2021 was the handover vintage, which he made with them. “Hard in the vineyard, but it was not difficult in the winery. This made it easier to keep the potential of this vintage,” says Pierre. The new oak has been dialed back. Pierre told me that they bought only one barrel of new oak for the cellar. Genevrières and Charmes show great finesse. Delicate and refined.
Meursault Clos de La Barre
Full, succulent, and dense, with punchy sapidity. It is tightly knit and so well-integrated. Top-notch. 2025–32+. | 91–92
Meursault Premier Cru Bouchères
Lafon racks in July and puts the wine back into oak for the second winter in the adjacent cellar, but in 2021 he simply rolled Bouchères into the neighboring cellar. Hence it stayed on the original lees. Creamy and lightly rounded; it has macadamia-nut richness and is well woven. Slightly sumptuous. 2026–35. | 94
Meursault Premier Cru Charmes
A light and purring elegance. A refined Charmes, with a delicate, shimmering, focused, crystalline quality. Eye-wateringly pure. Exquisite expression. 2026–35+. | 95–96
Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières
Light and airy and crystalline. Racy and fine. Soft salt, with a fine thread of freshness. It shimmers with a soft luster and is woven with haunting floral aromas. Just divine. 2026–35+. | 96
Meursault Premier Cru Goutte D’Or
This is rather bling bling for 2021. But there is no new oak here, just gorgeous, upfront fruit. Quite flashy with the crystalized citrus and juicy acidity. Plenty of bubbling energy to carry this along. 2026–35. | 94
Meursault Premier Cru Perrières
Straight, tight, dense, and channeled. Burnished steel. Super-intense. Precise. Fabulous finish. 2026–40. | 97
Le Montrachet
And another step up again. Stately. It exudes such presence. Goes on and on. 2028–40. | 99–100 Red Volnay Clos des Chênes
Finely textured. A light, trim, and refined body. Rather delicate and vibrant, with talcy tannins. Redcurrant fruit and good tension on the finish. This is a fine-boned and elegant Clos des Chênes. 2026–35. | 95
Volnay Premier Cru Santenots du Milieu
Full and slightly sturdy, with a firm structure, grip, and good tension. A vital wine. Punchy on the finish, with slightly bitter cherry kernel. Lots of muscle for 2021. 2026–38. | 94–95
CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT Having lost so much to frost in 2021, in 2022 Stéphane Follin-Arbelet, Directeur Général, has decreed that no vines will have a first prune before December, and only when he gives authorization can the second pruning be done. “With later pruning we can win 15 days.” He likens his Meursault to Bentley and his Puligny to Aston Martin. Everything is destemmed for the reds, as the optical storing machine came in handy for the 2021 vintage.
White Beaune Premier Cru Blanche Fleur Corton Rognet Grand Cru
Lime-flower aroma, with frangipane richness on the palate, which is juicy, quite deep and quite rounded. Well-balanced and super-succulent. 2025–30. | 91–92
Meursault Limouzin Corton Les Vergennes Grand Cru
Seductive and silky and really rather long, with an underscoring of smooth, wet-stone mineral. Very good village wine. 2025–32. | 90
Meursault Premier Cru Charmes Dessus
Buttery Brazil-nut generosity on the attack, with richness and depth of texture, but it soon smartens up, straightens, and cuts across the palate with plenty of freshness and a chalky, super-salty minerality to finish. Keen and persistent. I love the finish. Not bad at all. 2026–33+. | 95
Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Canet
Flowery and airy; rounded but light, with a fine, delicate, and long finish... aromatic and lingering. 2026–33+. | 94
Corton Les Vergennes Grand Cru
Savory, straight, and dense palate. Well-edged, channeled palate. Cold muscularity and a persistent, sapid, and punchy finish. 2026–35+. | 96
Red
Savigny-lès-Beaune Light and zesty. Sappy freshness and oodles of energy, with a bright, splashing, red-fruit finish. Crunchy. 2023–28. | 86
Pommard La Platiere
This vineyard is part premier cru and above the village. Well-exposed, but with the cool draught from the combe. Surprisingly smooth, with chamois- leather depth to the texture. It is even slightly unctuous. Under the palate comes the freshness. Rather well-managed. 2025–30. | 88
Anise and cherry-blossom aroma, then on the palate, cocoa powder and bitter cherry-kernel freshness. Intense, focused, and so fresh. Finely textured. Precise. This is sophisticated and detailed, with its sharp snap and the bitterness of very fine dark chocolate on the finish. 2026–35+. | 96
PULIGNY-MONTRACHET
MAISON & DOMAINE OLIVIER LEFLAIVE This was the 40th vintage for technical director Franck Grux… and he has never seen a vintage to compare with the low yields in 2021: not even a third of a normal vintage, some at 10% of normal. As Franck says, they have stock, so it is not disastrous, but he has not one barrel of Corton- Charlemagne. He has 130 regular suppliers, and only one grower delivered the normal yield, as he pruned late. Franck therefore resorted to blending. “What do you do with 40 liters of Meursault Les Clous—put it into a village blend. It is impossible to prune everything later, with an estate like Olivier Leflaive.” And as Grux points out, he is buying grapes and juice from the Mâconnais, to Chablis. The harvest will be ready at different times. It is a herculean job to juggle everything. He is not, however, disappointed with the 2021 vintage. “2021 was saved because the volume was reduced. It is a good vintage, because of these yields.” I tasted more than 20 wines. Some will benefit from fining, to bring more precision, but all showed good terroir definition. As ever, Franck has done an excellent job. Sadly, I think 2022 may be his last vintage.
Bourgogne Blanc Oncle Vincent (Domaine)
From a domaine vineyard near Puligny, under the Château de Puligny. Just 15hl/ha in 2021.
THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 197
Seductive and smooth, with ripe black cherry. Deep and even slightly unctuous; dark and highly polished, but well woven with freshness to finish. 2027–40. | 94–95
Pommard Premier Cru Epenots
Supple and silky; rippling on fine tannins. It’s all about the texture, which is talc-slippery smooth. There is delicacy and refinement to this Epenots. A Pommard with intensity, delicacy, and finesse. Much more discreet than the Volnay Clos des Chênes. Equally good. 2026–37. | 96
Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes
Tight and reserved at the front, taut texture on the mid-palate, and a muscular, stony grip. Plenty of tension and austerity, and a long, cold, and sapid finish. It’s quite strict, but I like it. 2026–37. | 96
Corton Marechaudes Grand Cru
Coffee and milk chocolate. Deepish, fullish, and plump, a little fat and generous, supple and engaging. 2026–30. | 93
2021 BURGUNDY: CÔTE DE BEAUNE
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