Large Formats

The domaine has an impressive 10 hectares in their home village of Marsannay. They bottle five separate cuvées, including the wonderful Grasses Têtes, which sits at the southern end of the commune, on the slope that rises up behind the village. Its quirky name (meaning “fat heads”) refers to the large rocks that show through the surface of the clay soil. It is typically the most structured and powerful of the Clair Marsannays, with the greatest tannic charge, recalling Gevrey-Chambertin. The 2022 has a fragrant and salty dynamism. This is quintessential Marsannay, and quintessential Clair, and a top contender for promotion to premier cru status.

Vaillons is a warm, sunny premier cru, much admired in the region. Fèvre has a substantial 3.5 hectares right in the middle of the slope. Their 55-year-old vines produce concentration and ripeness in the wine. This 2022 is bursting with floral aromatics: white blossom and jasmine spice. It is delicious already, but will age brilliantly too.

William’s father planted some of these vines in 1948. Since then, the domaine has expanded its holdings, and it is now the largest owner of Chablis’ greatest site with over four hectares. Lots of their vines are at the top of the hill, in a cool site, where the best soils are found. The wine is saturated in white peach, oyster brine, and limestone minerality. It is statuesque yet understated. This is truly grand cru in every sense.

William’s father planted some of these vines in 1948. Since then, the domaine has expanded its holdings, and it is now the largest owner of Chablis’ greatest site with over four hectares. Lots of their vines are at the top of the hill, in a cool site, where the best soils are found. The wine is saturated in white peach, oyster brine, and limestone minerality. It is statuesque yet understated. This is truly grand cru in every sense.

Preuses tends to be the most mineral and chalky or the grand cru lieux-dits, and the Fèvre example is quintessential. It is tight and powerful, with wonderful depth on the nose. The palate has pronounced energy and precision, and there is a long, tingling line of mineral freshness that stretches right down the finish. It encapsulates the purity and finesse of the 2022 vintage.

This is the village where the Lafons’ cellar is located. This is the cuvée that most encapsulates what the Lafons are trying - and succeeding - at doing in Mâcon. It’s the calling-card of the domaine, and the wine is always fruity, juicy, and bright. The 2022 has a good volume on the palate, thanks to the concentration of the fruit which comes from these high-altitude parcels.

The Chardonnay of this wine’s name actually refers to the village, although it’s a rather nice nod to the variety that is responsible for the vast majority of the wines produced in Mâcon. Clos de la Crochette is a charming walled vineyard that Dominique Lafon bought in 2003. After a little investigation he discovered it is one of the most historic sites in all of Burgundy, first planted by the monks of Cluny (c.900 AD). The energy and tension of the 2022 emphatically demonstrates why this has been a favourite spot with winegrowers through the centuries.

This is Guy Breton’s top cuvée, and is given his nickname, P’tit Max, which he has been called since childhood after his father. The wine comes from a parcel of low yielding 130-year-old vines. He says that rather than being bigger or oakier than the rest of his wines (as top cuvées at other addresses can be), it instead has a level of finesse that sets it apart. This 2021 is so refined, with juicy elegance and perfectly formed velvety tannins. There is mineral depth to the fruit, and the wine already tastes delicious at this early stage. Don’t be afraid to cellar this with confidence.

Les Sétilles is a contender for most popular wine on our list. It is a smash hit of a Bourgogne Blanc, made from a huge patchwork of vineyards, many clustered around the village of Puligny, and some from further afield. Latterly the fruit coming from the Hautes-Côtes has brought welcome freshness and tension to the wine. Two-thirds of the wine is raised in oak, with just a touch (10%) in new. It is precise, full of character, and quite simply a snapshot of some great winemaking at play in a promising vintage. It shows lemon brightness, mineral bite and a lovely seam of acidity leading to an impressively long finish.