Domaine Leflaive is one of the very best producers of white Burgundy. Leflaive is producing a big selection of whites, from Bourgogne Blanc to Montrachet – and all the wines are normally among the very best wines in their category.
Domaine Leflaive
The Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1996 from Domaine Leflaive is a true beauty when firering on all cylinders. The bouquet is expressive and complex offering a ripe intense yellow fruit with notes of melon, hazelnuts, smoky almonds, acacia and a twist of fresh citrus – supportet by a intense mineralic scent. Still some elements of smoky gun powder in the nose. On the palate matured crisp fruit – it’s focused, complex and weighty with the fine minerality and 1996 acidity as a structuring and focusing backbone.… Read the full article →
The Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 2002 from Domaine Leflaive has entered a matured stage .. and presently showing all it’s glory. The bouquet is very expressive and complex offering a ripe intense yellow fruit with notes of melon, fallen apples, hazelnuts, acacia and a twist of fresh grape – supportet by a intense mineralic scent. The palate offer big and creamy fruit aromas – quite fat and dense for a Pucelles – with a excellent support from the fine acidity, the citrus notes and the strong mineralic expression of the terroir.… Read the full article →
The Batard-Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive is slightly closed – but nevertheless showing it’s greatness. In the bouquet ripe and cool fruit – notes of orchard fruits – peach, pear, acacia, with a intense stony minerality and a twist of citrus zest. The nose is quite discrete, refined and very filigree. On the palate outstanding midpalate concentration and energy – big and bold – and yet refined and remarkably lightfooted. The finish is long and powerful with a vibrant acidity and a intense minerality.… Read the full article →
The Puligny Montrachet v2010 from Domaine Leflaive is a very impressive village wine. In the bouquet – slightly closed – but with a slightly chalky minerality and a lovely fruit expression – melon with hints of more exotic orchard fruits. Very fresh, ripe and crystal clear and quite discrete – this is new school Leflaive! On the palate very refined with a good mid-palate weight, great balance and a long precise finish. Like many 2010s it currently shows a yin and yang effect between the acidity and fruit – this tension is fine – but it really need time to show the full pontential.… Read the full article →
The Pucelles 1999 from Domaine Leflaive is a real beauty. In the nose gun powder, citrus and almonds with a fine minerality and a lovely yellow fruit. On the palate a wonderful crisp acidity, very focused with a beautiful fruit and minderality. It has a lovely balance, and a fantastic acidity and freshness for the vintage. A very fine wine indeed.
(Drink from 2015) – Very Fine 94p – Tasted 04/10/2012
The Bourgogne Blanc from Domaine Leflaive is normally among the best generic white Burgundies – and he 2010 edition is no exception. It offeres the new discrete Leflaive style, fine pure Chardonnay fruit and even some minerality. In the nose orchard fruits – mango and melon – a fresh and nuanced tone of citrus fruits. On the palate quite rich, but with a fresh backbone of acidity – really like the 2010 acidity. Lovely balanced with hints of minerlity – need a little time to unfold.… Read the full article →
The Puligny Montrachet village 2010 from Domaine Leflaive is a fine effort in a equally fine vintage. In the bouquet classic Puligny minerality with a lovely fruit expression – melon with hints of more exotic orchard fruits. Very fresh, ripe and crystal clear and quite discrete – new school Leflaive! On the palate very refined with a good mid-palate weight, great balance and long precise finish. A pure and crystal clear wine with a lovely precise expression of the Puligny terroir.… Read the full article →
The Puligny-Montrachet les Pucelles 2000 from Domaine Leflaive is normally a true delight. This example was however quite delveloped with a darker than normal color, and a somewhat tired expression. The cork was fine, but could be a slight premox, in that case first premoxed wine from this domaine since the 1997 vintage. In the bouquet quite mature notes, apple, almonds hint of gunpowder, and a slight oxidation. On the palate good concentration, rather dense but not very lively fruit. Good lenght and minerality from the fine terroir.… Read the full article →
The Bourgogne Blanc from Domaine Leflaive is a classic wine among the generic white Burgundies. It offeres the Leflaive style, fine pure Chardonnay fruit and even some minerality. The 2008 edtion is no exception – a really charming and quite open wine. In the nose white flowers, slight melon and minerality and some quite forward citrus notes. On the palate surprisingly rich, with a good backbone from the lovely 2008 acidity – and also some nice minerality … giving the wine some personality and a slight hint of undefined terroir.… Read the full article →
The Puligny 09 from Leflaive is surprisingly discrete without the normal characteristics of a young Leflaive wine. In the bouquet yellow quite exotic fruits, with notes of pear and peach. Also a hint of yeast in the quite discrete nose. On the palate quite mellow, with rather soft butteri yellow fruits. Quite good balance and length, but lacking some acidity and freshness at this point. Not really what you would expect from a young Leflaive wine. Need to retaste both Leflaive and Coche-Dury village wines – they have been somewhat disappointing in our tastings, and with almost the same expression.… Read the full article →
Celebrating the New Year is associated with good friends, nice food and a lot of good wines. This year was no exception, as quite many good bottles was on the table.
We always taste the some of the wines while preparing the food. Some of the wines are tasted at the table …. thus making detailed comments impossible.
The Clavoillon 2008 from Leflaive is a fine effort. Very focused bouqet with good minerality and some citrus notes. On the palate quite dense for a 2008, but with a very fine acidity. Good balance and length, with some minerality. Clavoillon is not the most complex terroir, but the combination with the carateristics of the 2008 vintage is perfect.
(Drink from 2017) Very Good – 90p
Tasted 28/09/2011 at Restaurant Sommelier
Best wine of the evening – Chevalier Montrachet from Leflaive. The bouquet is still very tight and youthful. Notes of gun powder and a strong minerality. The palate slighly more developed, with a huge minerality and great length. Very focused and balanced … but only showing a small part of the huge potential. Need 10 years more in the cellar.
(Drink From 2020) Outstanding – 96p
Tasted 28/09/2011 at Gustavs Bistro
Les Pucelles 2000 from Domaine Leflaive is a very charming wine. Two bottles were served, on from a very cold cellar, and one from a slightly warmer cellar. Both were quite open and mature, with a wonderful charming personality. It’s quite a soft vintage, but still this wine has a good minerality and a very pleasent acidity structure. Fine mature notes in both bouquet and on the palate. Will keep – but I would prefer to drink it while it’s still crisp.… Read the full article →
Chevalier Montrachet 1997 from Domaine Leflaive was a disappointment. Sadly very closed with only a lot of minerality showing the potential. Quite a large scale wine, but not much fruit, freshness and charm is showing. Not clear signs of premox, but have had quite a few Pucelles 1997 with premox problems, so this might also be the case with this wine. Otherwise not very developed, and should keep for some years.
(now – 2020) only Very Good – 90p Tasted December 31., 2010
Chevalier Montrachet 1995 from Domaine Leflaive is one of the best white Burgyndies I have tasted in years. Some mature notes in the bouquet, but still fresh. Perfect balance, very good acidity and length. Clean mature chardonnay flavors, with a very intense minerality. Will improve for some years, but is rather close to maturity.
(now – 2020) Outstanding 96p
The 2006 Puligny village wine is not a got effort from Domaine Leflaive. It’s alcoholic in both bouquet and on the palate – a direct result of the 14,5% alcohol level. Only average – and not a pleasure. It’s hard to say if it will improve with cellaring! (now – 2020) – 79p… Read the full article →
This is classic white Burgundy of the best kind. Domaine Leflaive Les Pucelle 1996 (95p), is an outstanding effort. A precise and crisp wine, with the classic 1996 backbone. Great balance, 100% pure and above all a great pleasure to drink. Will improve for at least 10 years, but tastes great now. (2011 – 2025) – 95p
The 1994 Batard Montrachet from Domaine Leflaiveis is a big and heavy wine, in a slightly boring way. Definitely not a bad glass, but unfortunately the vintage, with its lack of freshness and purity, really limits the potential in this wine. Maybe a little hard rated, but not a classic white Burgundy in my opinion. (Drink now) – 87p
