White Club - Sixth Allocation

Dear White Wine Club Member:

This month, we travel back to France, to sample a choice of wines from Dominique Lafon, arguably one of the finest winemakers in the world.

Your allocation this month is a choice between two wines from his Heretiers du Comte Lafon Macon wines: Clos du Four or Clos de la Crochette.

Dominique Lafon was the first Côte d’Or superstar to expand his holdings into the southern Burgundy region of Mâcon. Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon produces wines ranging from Mâcon up to four single-vineyard wines.

Clos de Four: This is the prized vineyard in the village of Milly located in a steep ampitheater directly behind Lafon's winery. Much of the fruit here goes into the village Milly bottling with just the old vines in the heart of the vineyard, having best exposure, going into this cuvée. Very mineral with great length, this wine's richness comes out only after at least a year in bottle. The fruit is classic Mâcon styled with tinges of citrus that give a hint of it's potential to age at least 5-7 years.

Clos de la Crochette: This is considered to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest, chardonnay growing site in the world. Located in the village where the Cluny monks first planted the varietal, this is the finest vineyard in the area. The perfect mix of clay and limestone combined with a medium steep slope and good eastern exposure, you can really feel the history here as you walk the vineyard. The resulting wine is very poised and possesses that perfect balance of crisp acidity, good mineral backbone and a very intense, long mouth-feel. The fruit shows both ripe apples and citrus with just a little spice.

Dominique Lafon is a fourth generation winemaker, with his family farming grapes and making wines in Meursault for many years.    Lafon, 48, manages his family's estate, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, in Meursault. He took over full responsibility for the vineyards and winemaking in 1987 as the sharecropping agreements expired and has since established an international reputation for wines of richness, precision and balance that are also true to their terroirs. He is one of a cadre of winemakers whose generation questioned the vineyard and cellar techniques of the 1960s and 1970s. Through mutual tastings and vineyard visits, they began improving the quality of both red and white Burgundy.

Though known for his whites from Meursault and Montrachet, Lafon also makes delicious reds from Volnay and Monthélie. He expanded his portfolio in 1999 by purchasing 19 acres in the Mâconnais; today he owns 36 acres from which he makes Mâcon under the Les Héritiers des Comtes Lafon label. These are some of the best wines from the region and offer value compared with the more expensive Meursault bottlings.    He is one of the champions of stewardship of vineyard lands and practices biodynamic viticulture with all of his wines.

If you're feeling a bit spendy, we have a great selection of Lafon's Meursaults.   Just ask.

Wild Salmon with Morels, Peas, Green Onions and Chervil Serves 4

This dish is a beautiful display of colors and textures, captures the essence of the late spring/early summer season.

1/2 cup fresh peas, shelled

8 green onions, trimmed leaving about 1 inch of the green

5 medium leeks, white parts about 1 inch of the green

8 small fingerling potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

6 ounces fresh morel mushrooms, ends trimmed, large caps halved

sea salt and pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 wild salmon filets, about 7 ounces each

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced chives

8 chervil sprigs for garnish

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the peas for about 4 minutes until tender. Transfer to a bowl of iced water. Add the green onion to the water and cook about 3 minutes until tender. Transfer to the bowl of iced water.

Cut the leeks on the bias into 1/2 inch thick slices. Rinse well and cook the leeks in the boiling water for about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of iced water. When completely cooled, drain the vegetables and set them aside. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 12-15 minutes until tender. Remove from the ehat and cover to keep warm in the cooking liquid.

In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the morels, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
Bring the reserved cup of liquid to a boil over high heat. Add the cream and cook about 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Lower the heat and add the butter, a piece at a time, whisking well after each addition to create a rich, creamy emulsion.

Drain the potatoes and slice them into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Add the potatoes, peas, onions, leeks and mushrooms to the sauce, stirring gently until heated through. Stir in the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Season the salmon fillets and cook, skin side down, in a large skillet over medum high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn and cook about 2 minutes longer, for medium rare.

Spoon the vegetables onto the center of 4 large dinner plates. Top each with a salmon fillet and a few more vegetables. Add the chives to the sauce and spoon the sauce over and around each serving. Garnish with the chervil sprigs.