Everything has changed, and nothing has changed. The 2023s from Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon have just landed, and they’re exactly what we hoped for: already delicious, fresh, and totally honest expressions of Mâcon terroir.

Time was, we didn’t expect quite so much from the region. When Dominique Lafon first traveled south from his legendary Meursault vineyards to found a Mâconnais project back in 1999, it was radical — revolutionary, even — for the region. But his Héritiers wines proved that the Mâcon isn’t just a source of value white Burgundy. It can deliver purity and precision, real complexity, and even aging potential.

What’s more, together with longtime winemaker Caroline Gon, he proved you could do all that in quantities and at prices that make it possible to actually open a bottle on a weeknight.

We just got the 2023s and, no surprise, all of that is still true: the wines are beautifully accessible already, but with backbone, freshness and surprisingly low alcohols (no doubt thanks to the longtime biodynamic farming and painstakingly focused work).

But 2023 isn’t just the newest vintage — it marks a real transition. After more than 15 years of shaping these wines, Caroline Gon passed the cellar to her collaborator Elsie Moore, who guided the 2023s from start to finish. Dominique himself has stepped back from day-to-day operations, leaving the domaine in the hands of his daughter and nephew, Léa and Pierre Lafon, ensuring that the Lafon legacy is carried forward with vision and care.

So this isn’t just a chance to taste a delicious new vintage. It’s a chance to experience both the history of the Mâcon’s rise and its future. And honestly, it couldn’t taste any better.

Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon, Mâcon-Prissé, 2023 $41.99
“The 2023 Mâcon-Prissé has a pretty nose with lime and light lemon verbena scents. The palate is well balanced with a simple grapefruit- and pear-tinged opening, quite elegant with ample weight on the finish. Enjoy over three to four years.” (Neal Martin, Vinous)

Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon, Viré-Clessé, 2023 $48.99
“A similar colour with a green streak, and quite a steely nose. Here the weight of the fruit sits at the back of the palate, ripe citrus notes, otherwise white fruit, plenty of energy, not too much sucrosity, relatively classic.” (Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy)

Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon, Saint-Véran, 2023 $48.99
“From the communes of Prissé and Davayé. Pale lemon with a green streak, not quite clear. Quite pronounced ripe fruit with some generosity but there is a good backbone too, you can see the ripeness of the fruit though just 12% in alcohol.” (Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy)