Over half of this fruit is from centenary vines with the rest from 30-year-olds. There is ample clay here, giving the concentrated body real oomph, despite being primarily from the Dessus, or upper part, or the cru. Seamlessly balanced between the chiseled acidity and a crisply drying finish, this needs time to give its all in bottle.

Made from a minimum 35 year old vines, some much older. Pale lemon yellow, maybe a light green tint. A touch of honeysuckle but mostly the full weight of Charmes. A significant volume and crunch on the palate, a huge amount going on, not yet so well in place as yet. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted Oct 2024.

Aromas of pear and orange oil mingled with hints of honeycomb and freshly baked bread introduce the 2023 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes, a medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless wine that's deep and layered, with a cool, impeccably balanced profile and a long, saline finish. The 2023 vintage is another success from Domaine des Comtes Lafon, now headed by Léa and Pierre Lafon, delivering both quantity and quality like 2022 before it, though in a somewhat fleshier, more extroverted style. While a few new cuvées have joined the range, 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.(WK)