Dominique Lafon has Burgundy in his blood. He’s managed his family’s domaine — Domaine des Comtes Lafon — since the 1980s, and in the decades since, he’s embarked on not one, but two, solo projects.... Read More

Dominique Lafon has Burgundy in his blood. He’s managed his family’s domaine — Domaine des Comtes Lafon — since the 1980s, and in the decades since, he’s embarked on not one, but two, solo projects. His great-grandfather was Mayor of Meursault in the 1920s, but Dominique is arguably godfather of the entire region.

He’s a dynamic winemaker: unapologetically brash at times, yet remarkably sensitive and curious. When he took over from his father, who never worked in the vines, Dominique insisted on a more hands-on approach; he learned how to ride a tractor (much to the delight and incredulity of his more tractor-savvy neighbors), and farming was converted to organic and biodynamics.
But managing the family estate wasn't enough. No, Dominique wanted to make a name for himself, so in 2008 he purchased a handful of parcels in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Volnay and Beaune. He believes the wines under his own label have greater tension and minerality than those of Domaine des Comtes Lafon, and credits a shorter élévage and higher-elevation vines for this effect.