Dominique’s 10 modest acres in “Santenots-du-Milieu” make up the majority of the Premier Cru. Looking at a map of Volnay, you’ll notice that all the “Santenots-” designated Premier Crus are located on Meursault’s side. Due to the soil similarities between these Premier Crus and Volnay, they are permitted to use Volnay on their labels, seeing as this is largely a Pinot Noir-growing commune. Soils here are limestone and red clay (more than you’d find in Volnay), and Comtes Lafon’s vines enjoy a great deal of age: on average they are 30 years old, but some plantings date to 1944. Dominique was an early converter to both organic and biodynamic farming so everything is meticulously farmed out by hand. After harvesting and twice sorting, the Pinot Noir is 100% destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts with a daily pigeage (“punch-down”) regimen. After settling in temperature-controlled tanks, the newborn wine is transferred via gravity into French oak (33% new) where it ages on its fine lees for 22 months.

In the glass, Comte Lafon's “Santenots-du-Milieu” shows a brilliantly deep ruby core leading out to soft pink reflections on the rim. Lots of concentration is immediately apparent and the nose quickly confirms the ‘seriousness’ of this wine: dark-fruited, spice-tinged, and predominantly earth-driven. You can expect a waterfall of aromatics to pour out of the glass: black cherry, black raspberry liqueur, elderberry, blackcurrant, cedar undergrowth, aniseed, violet, rose petal, turned earth, damp clay, baking spice, and wild herbs. The wine is medium-plus bodied, but it envelops your entire palate, creating a full mouthfeel with structured, brawny tannins alongside energetic rushes of acidity. 

This will age decades and decades. You should ideally stow this away for 3-5 years before it starts revealing its true colors, but for those who would like to experience this masterpiece now please decant a minimum of two hours before pouring into your largest Burgundy stems.