Wine Advisor
Olivier Leflaive, Montrachet Grand Cru 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Tasted blind, the 2015 Montrachet Grand Cru from Olivier Leflaive performed very well indeed, offering up an attractive bouquet of white flowers, fresh apricot and peach, framed by a generous but not exaggerated application of creamy new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, racy and pure, with a textural attack and deep core that give way to a bright, mouthwatering finish. It's a bright but dramatic Montrachet that should offer a broad drinking window.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
(tiny berries here yielded just 27 hectoliters per hectare, according to Rémy): Bright, light yellow. Rich, ripe aromas of lemon, peach, butter and clove. Fat and rich but at the same time bright and dry, conveying a distinctly salty quality to the flavors of stone fruits and smoky minerality. Less silky and more powerful than the Chevalier-Montrachet, not to mention highly concentrated. Finishes very long, with strong soil tones.
About the Producer
Olivier Leflaive, is the blood from Burgundian star winemaking family – the Leflaive family, which has been rooted in Puligny Montrachet since 1717. He was co-manager of Domaine Leflaive in 1982-1994. He started to explore négociant business outside Puligny-Montrachet by Olivier Leflaive Frères. Initially he had no vineyards and bought in grapes from selected growers. In 1988 Franck Grux took over as a winemaker and still holds this role today. Over the two past decades he was able to establish a strong, long-term relationship with the best growers and the quality of the wines is outstanding. Olivier Leflaive is looking for elegance and finesse rather than power. The oak is minimal and his wines are usually attractive young. The wines are hallmarks of elegance and purity. In 2010, after several long years, Olivier and Patrick finally received their family legacy in the form of some fabulous terroirs: Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru; Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru; Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles; Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières; and Meursault 1er Cru Blagny Sous le Dos d’Âne. Today, Leflaive owns about 17 hectares of several parcels in these appellations and also in Puligny Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet Premier Cru Les Chaumées, Chassagne Montrachet Premier Cru Les Vergers, Chassagne Montrachet Premier Cru Abbaye de Morgeot and Chassagne Montrachet Clos St Marc. Production is now around 70,000 cases across 65 different appellations, 85 percent in white wine. Included in the production are his own vineyards which cover 15 hectares in Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault. Wines which are solely from Olivier Leflaive’s own vines are marked ‘Récolte du Domaine’.
