1989 Domaine des Comtés Lafon Meursault Charmes 1er Cru

The blockbuster 1989 Meursault-Charmes is one of the richest, most intense wines I have ever tasted from Lafon. This wine exhibits decadent levels of richness, amazing amounts of glycerin, and an extraction level that is usually only found in the finest white burgundy grands crus. The huge nose of super-ripe apples, buttered toast, and nuts is followed by a wine of awesome richness, and phenomenal length and poise. All of this is held together by crisp acidity, another indication that this 1989 vintage, for all its precociousness and unctuous fruit, is going to evolve well. Comte Lafon's Charmes vineyard is on the Puligny-Montrachet border, next to the Les Combettes premier cru vineyard of Etienne Sauzet. Interestingly, the vineyard is planted with vines of which two-thirds are 65 years of age, and one-third 40 years of age. Meursault yields for the Comte Lafon in 1989 were a minuscule 25 hectoliters per hectare. In high yield years, the wines of the Comte Lafon are usually among the most concentrated in Burgundy. From this readers can extrapolate the kind of intensity levels one is dealing with in a vintage such as 1989. Dominique Lafon, who is now in complete charge in the cellars, has continued to move toward a more organic style of winemaking. He has eliminated all fertilizers except for manure, uses minimum amounts of sulphur, and bottles his Meursault unfiltered. If you have the requisite discretionary income, these Meursaults are must purchases. Importer: Classic Wines, Brookline, MA.

Exotic, superripe aromas of peach, marzipan, hazelnut, almond and charred oak. Big, superrich and ripe; powerful and very concentrated. The yield here was just 25 hectoliters per hectare. Impressive palate-staining finish is fat, sweet and very long. Drinkable now but should hold well. This has been one of the vintage monuments since the outset. "A big winter wine," says Lafon, who suggests serving it alongside chicken with truffles or morels.