A Tasting Of The Wines Of The Domaine Leflaive
The 24.5 hectare Leflaive estate is one of the finest white wine addresses in Burgundy. Based in Puligny-Montachet, bio-dynamic since 1997, and run by Anne-Claude Leflaive, the domaine holds 2 hectatres of Chevalier-Montrachet, 1.91 ha. of Bâtard, I.6 ha. of Bienvenues, a little piece of Montachet itself, and premiers crus in Les Pucelles, Les Combottes, Les Clavaillons and Les Folatières, as well as land in Meursault-Blagny, recently converted from Pinot to Chardonnay.
The following wines were sampled chez Tom Black in Nashville, TN, in April 2009.
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, 2005
Fragrant, soft, plump, honeysuckled nose. This has great charm. Medium-full body. Really quite enjoyable already. Excellent harmony, poise and class. Very lovely fruit. Very fine grip. Obviously it will still improve. From 2013.
Chevalier-Montrachet, 2005
Closed-in, concentrated, youthful but multi-dimensional nose. This really is profound. Fullish, but not too dense. Rich, fat, very concentrated; very good grip. Excellent depth, vigour and class. Very fine. From 2015.
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Pucelles, 2004
Fresh colour. Odd nose – this was in all the Pucelles – a hint of oil. Medium to medium-full body. Ripe, plump, enjoyable – cleaner than the nose. Fresh, crisp and ripe appley on the palate. Really very enjoyable now. Very good indeed. Now-2014.
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Pucelles, 2002
Medium-full colour. A little development. Some evolution on the nose too. It lacks the crispness and vigour I expected. And it doesn't have the class it should have. Soft, plump, no great energy. Fully developed. Not brilliant. Now-2015
NB. Other bottles of this wine, sampled elsewhere, were prematurely oxidised.
Bâtard-Montachet, 2002
Very fresh colour, crisper-looking than the Pucelles. Lovely firm, minerally, complex nose. Real depth here. Much, much better than the Pucelles. Vigorous, profound, classy and harmonious. Very, very long on the palate. Very fine. Will still improve. From 2012.
The Chevalier 2002 was corked, as was the Pucelles 2005.
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Pucelles, 2000
More developed colour than the 1999. Softer, plumper and cleaner on the nose (less kerosene-y) than the 1999. More enjoyable if less to it. Medium to medium-full body. Fresh, ripe and fruity. No great weight, but long on the palate, even quite complex. I prefer this to the 1999. It has more class. Very good indeed. Drink soon.
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Pucelles, 1999
Barely developed colour. But the nose, full and rich, is a little developed. The Batard is much more vigorous. Fullish, ample and quite fresh on the palate, but I don't get the class I expected (and it should have). Good energy at the end, but the purity is missing, as well as the usual Pucelles peach and honeysuckle flavours. Very good at best. Now-2012.
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, 1999
A delicate, complex nose, as it should be. Just as much intensity as the Bâtard below, but in a softer, more understated way. Fullish, excellent grip and class. A subtle, complex, elegant wine. Long and lovely. Fine plus. Now-2018
Bâtard-Montrachet, 1999
Very fresh colour. Lovely nose; crisp, full, concentrated and classy. Very gently oaky. Quite firm, indeed a litle four-square. But more sophisticated as it evolved. Still youthful: it will still improve. The Bienvenues has more charm today, but this is also fine plus. 2011-2020.
Puligny-Montrachet, Les Pucelles, 1996
Good fresh colour. Oaky and a bit kerosene-y on the nose at first, but both these blew off after a bit. Not the greatest class, but medium-full body, ripe, succulent and full of fruit, even if this is in an exotic, almost tropical sense. Developed fast in the glass. Very good at best. Drink soon.
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, 1996
Open nose. This is a bit flabby, and has much less energy and minerality than the Bâtard. Medium to medium-full body. Loose-knit. Rather one-dimensional and now fully evolved. I even prefer the Pucelles above. Drink up.
Bâtard-Montrachet, 1996
Firm nose. Full, rich, fresh and concentrated. A great deal superior to the two above. Plenty of wine here. Medium-full body. Very good grip. A very nice, classy wine. Not a bit four-square. Fine. Now-2014.
Chevalier-Montrachet, 1996
Fresh colour. Full, rich, concentrated, gently oaky, youthful, vigorous, high-class nose. Lovely fruit. Lots of depth and finesse. Subtle and complex. Just about ready. Very fine. Now-2018.
Chevalier-Montrachet, 1993
Good fresh nose. Lightish but fresh. No great depth but not too old. And one could see the inherent class of the climat despite the wine being corked.
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, 1991
Quite an evolved colour. Plump, quite succulent nose. Fresher than the 1990 Chevalier, but a touch of reduction reduces the class. Fullish on the palate. Not too aged. Drink quite soon.
Chevalier-Montrachet, 1991
Fresher colour than the Bienvenues above. Quite fresh and slightly oaky on the nose. Not a bit as blousy as the Chevalier 1990. Medium body. Less concentration than the Bienvenues, and less vigour too. Quite crisp at the end, but it tails off. Drink soon.
Chevalier-Montrachet, 1990
Not the greatest vigour. But rich and full. Some development. Decent acidity, but by no means exciting. (And I don't think any of these older wines ever were). Drink soon.