Important Update From the Founder
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Lafon Santenots 1969-2005
La Trompette, Chiswick, London
Tasted September 20, 2013 by Rupert with 784 views
Introduction
Organised by Jordi Orriols-Gil who supplied all the reds from his cellar and who had arranged for Dominique Lafon to come over to present them. The sudden ripening of the chardonnay meant that Dominique had to stay to supervise the harvest, but it was no great hardship to have the wines introduced instead by Jasper Morris who has been so close to this domaine for over 30 years.
The younger wines weren't quite as forbidding as I've often found them in the past, but they are massive and structured and it really is a waste to drink them young. The final flight, though, was magnifient, the 85, 78 and 69 all up there with the very best wines I've ever had.
Flight 1 - Seared scallop with pearl barley and chanterelles (3 notes)
White
2002 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières
Ripe, a bit advanced, with buttterscotch notes and a hint of toast.
White
2004 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet
flawed
Seemed clearly corked to me, but others thought it was just sulphur or 2004 character. There was a lovely focused toasty grippy wine underneath the taint.
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White
2002 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Montrachet
Better than the Perrières, but too ripe and creamy for me, and a whiff of premox butterscotch
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Flight 2 - Tartare and rare roast venison with baked celeriac, salt baked beetroot and radishes (4 notes)
Red
2005 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
92 points
Sweet, oaky, tannic. A huge wine. A bit pointless to drink it now, but it's not unapproachable.
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Red
2002 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
90 points
Full, sweetish fruit, smooth. Not much complexity yet, but nice already
Red
2000 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
90 points
This too, smooth and glossy, and attractive
Red
1999 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
90 points
Very rich, dense, chocolately, perhaps overripe, a touch of oxidation
Flight 3 - Raviolo of suckling pig with smoked bacon and cèpes (3 notes)
Red
1996 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
91 points
Rich, and this too had a chocolately density (very different from bottles I've had in the past) and also a touch of oxidation, but still plenty of acidity
Red
1995 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
92 points
Tannic, but buffered. Very grippy
Red
1993 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
93 points
Loaded, full, pure pinot character, still primary, but should be special with time
Flight 4 - Roast breast and pie of mallard with crushed swede and blackberries (3 notes)
Red
1991 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
91 points
Another one where smooth and glossy are the watchwords
Red
1990 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
92 points
Smooth, dense, very structured
Red
1989 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
91 points
Dark, dense, chewy, very attractive, but so blocky
Flight 5 - A plate of époisses, camembert and berkswell (6 notes)
Red
1985 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
95 points
Fresh, ample, lots of bruised fruit, lovely poise. Brilliant
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Red
1978 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
98 points
Amazing! Silk, spice, so much at the core, sweetness, savouriness, mouth filling. Hard to convey how wonderful this was
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Red
1976 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
92 points
Hard to evaluate after the amazing '78, this was another full smooth number, fully alive, but lacking the punch of the two preceding wines
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Red
1969 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
96 points
Rude, grippy, wild. Penetrating fragrance. Sweet and savoury at the same time, really fresh. Fantastic
Red
1980 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
flawed
TCA alas. Seemed soft and attractive underneath
Red
1969 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru Santenots-Du-Milieu
97 points
A second bottle served blind. I was fairly confident that it was another '78, but it turned out to be another '69. Amazing energy.