Wine Advisor
Leflaive, Puligny Montrachet 2013
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(in tank): Bright, light yellow. Rather subdued aromas of lemon, grapefruit and white flowers. Fat and sweet on entry, and distinctly exotic after the 2014s. Nicely full in the middle but tight on the back end, perhaps a bit hardened by SO2. (Incidentally, Leflaive's Bourgogne Blanc, which I also sampled from tank, offers sappy, saline aromas and flavors of citrus and stone fruits and flowers and a tactile concentration that transcends its appellation.)
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Peach nectar complicated by a sexy leesy note on the nose. Round, spicy, dry and classic; actually less fruity than the very promising, floral Bourgogne Blanc that preceded it (snap that wine up if you see it!) but fatter and deeper. The pH here is a very low 3.0, according to winemaker Eric Remy.
About the Producer
Domaine Leflaive, based in Puligny-Montrachet, is one of the most important producers in the Côte de Beaune. Focusing almost entirely on white wines made from Chardonnay, the Domaine makes four grand cru wines and four premier crus in Puligny-Montrachet. The Domaine was founded by Joseph Leflaive, a former engineer. In 1905, he purchased vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet which had been ravaged by phylloxera, and set about replanting and expanding them. Upon his death in 1953, his sons Vincent and Jo took over the running of the estate, and are widely credited with building up the reputation that Leflaive enjoys today. In 1990, cousins Anne Claude and Olivier Leflaive took over the running of the estate, with Olivier leaving in 1994 to run his own negociant business. Anne Claude converted the vineyards to biodynamics and is considered a pioneer of that movement in Burgundy. After her death in 2015, her nephew Brice de la Morandiere has taken over the running of Domaine Leflaive. Domaine Leflaive's most important wine is arguably the Montrachet Grand Cru, which, depending on vintage, can fetch upwards of $5000 a bottle. The domaine also has land in Chevalier-Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet, and Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, and makes a grand cru wine from each. Additional to this, there are several premier cru wines, the most important of which is probably the Les Clavoillon, which was one of the wines included in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Domaine Leflaive also makes a sole red wine from Pinot Noir under the Blagny Sous le Dos d'Ane Premier Cru title.