2022 Meursault Les Charmes

Note: a blend of fruit coming from 35+ and 75+ year old vines in Charmes Dessus, which is generally considered to be the best part; the parcel is situated directly below Perrières and abutting Combettes. A distinctly restrained nose only grudgingly reveals its combination of cool, pure and airy aromas of white orchard fruit, toasted nut/brown butter, crushed anise and a similar array of floral top notes. The bigger and richer, if less refined, medium-bodied flavors exude a more subtle minerality on the superbly long and even more complex finale that is also just a bit more tightly wound. This is terrific and I especially like the interplay of the fruit/acid/stone elements. A classic Lafon Charmes.*Burghound Sweet Spot Outstanding!*

The 2022 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes is brilliant, offering up aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit mingled with notions of apple blossom, buttery pastry, freshly baked bread and honeycomb. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's structured and multidimensional, with impressive reserves of chalky extract and a long, palate-staining finish. Of Lafon's "big three" in Meursault, it's often Les Charmes that ages the best over the very long term, and I could certainly see that being the case in this vintage. The first produced under the direction of Léa and Pierre Lafon, the 2022 vintage has turned out very well at this address, delivering both quality and reasonable quantity, a welcome change after the vicissitudes of 2021. For now, no big changes are afoot, and Dominque Lafon continues to be a guiding presence—organic and biodynamic farming in the vineyards, barrel fermentation for whites, two winters' élevage on the lees for both colors, and bottling under Diam technical corks (since 2013) continue to be the order of the day. What's new this year are two attractive cuvées of Puligny-Montrachet, the fruit of a sharecropping agreement.(WK)

The 2022 Meursault Les Charmes 1er Cru has an effervescent nose with yuzu and quince complementing the mineral-rich citrus fruit. The nose emits so much. The beautifully balanced palate has wonderful poise, yet there is real depth and power as it sashays toward its delineated and persistent finish. One of the best from the Domaine. Outstanding.(NM)