2001 Le Montrachet
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Tasting notes
While not a blockbuster as it is only medium-bodied, Domaine Lafon’s 2001 Montrachet is a stunning, awe-inspiring wine. According to Lafon, “It is the best Montrachet we’ve ever made.” Spiced pears and vanilla can be found in its complex aromatics. On the palate, this oily-textured wine reveals sublime power, depth, concentration, purity, expanse, and class. Loads of spice-laden pears, candied apples, buttered toast, acacia blossoms, and well-defined minerals are detected in its flavor profile. Its sultry finish, which still bathes the palate in spices after a minute, is mind-numbing. Bravo! Dominique Lafon is on fire, in a zone, on top of his game. He’s never made better wines, and he improves with each passing vintage. Importers: Various including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel: (617) 731-6644; Daniel Johnnes/Jeroboam Wines, New York, NY; (212) 625-2505; and Beaune Imports
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Pierre Rovani
More reviews and scores
Astonishingly pure fruit of ripe pear, honeysuckle, and white flowers nicely complemented by oak spice that merges seamlessly into powerful yet exquisitely delineated, strongly mineral laden flavors of incredible length. The 2001 Montrachet has seemingly endless reserves of sap and it stains and coats the palate. As impressive as those attributes are, it is the combination of a silky palate impression yet driving intensity that set this apart from all of the prior wines. An extremely impressive 2001and this is indisputably a wine of the vintage candidate. Allen Meadows-burghound 01/07/03
While not a blockbuster as it is only medium-bodied, Domaine Lafon’s 2001 Montrachet is a stunning, awe-inspiring wine. According to Lafon, “It is the best Montrachet we’ve ever made.” Spiced pears and vanilla can be found in its complex aromatics. On the palate, this oily-textured wine reveals sublime power, depth, concentration, purity, expanse, and class. Loads of spice-laden pears, candied apples, buttered toast, acacia blossoms, and well-defined minerals are detected in its flavor profile. Its sultry finish, which still bathes the palate in spices after a minute, is mind-numbing. Bravo!||Dominique Lafon is on fire, in a zone, on top of his game. He’s never made better wines, and he improves with each passing vintage. Wine Advocate.June, 2003
(27 hectoliters per hectare; aging in 100% new oak) Broad, deep nose of apple, iodine, clove and vanillin oak. Hugely thick and sweet, with strong acids giving the highly concentrated flavors great solidity. A monumental Montrachet, offering great density with no excess weight. Slow-building, palate- saturating finish offers great elegance and spicy persistence. Still an infant. Wine-of-the-vintage material here.