The extension of Chardonnay production into the Mâconnais was a bold move for the Lafon family, which has paid off handsomely. Meursault savoir-faire has been successfully leveraged, from Chardonnay lees-management techniques to terroir consciousness, identifying the most characterful holdings and reconfiguring production around them. First came the 1999 ‘southern’ acquisition of 7.5 hectares in Milly and Bussières. Four wines are made here: two multi-vineyard blends – Mâcon and Mâcon-Milly Lamartine – and two limited-release cuvées from top sites Le Monsard and Le Clos du Four. Almost 7 more hectares were added in 2003 in the northern Mâconnais in the villages of Uchizy and Chardonnay, with three new bottlings from the new venture: a generic Mâcon-Villages sourced from both communes and two vineyard-designate releases – Mâcon-Uchizy Les Maranches and Mâcon-Chardonnay Clos de la Crochette. Domique Lafon has made further recent acquisitions in Viré-Clessé. Production from the north and south is not mixed.
