Domaine Leflaive is the benchmark for white Burgundy. From Puligny-Montrachet the family makes Chardonnay of a precision that collectors seek out worldwide, from Bourgogne Blanc and Mâcon-Verzé to Les Pucelles and the grand cru Montrachet.
Domaine Leflaive: a Puligny-Montrachet family since 1717
The Leflaive family has lived in Puligny-Montrachet since 1717, but the domaine as we know it was built by Joseph Leflaive (1870 to 1953). An engineer, he bought vineyards in the village when phylloxera had made them cheap, and from 1920 he replanted them and began selling the wine under his own name. His sons Vincent and Jo carried the estate on after him.
Vincent's daughter Anne-Claude Leflaive joined in 1990 and ran the domaine alone from 1994. She converted the whole estate to biodynamic farming in the mid-1990s, one of the first major names in Burgundy to do so. After her death in 2015 Brice de La Morandière, Joseph's great-grandson, took over the management, and since 2017 Pierre Vincent, formerly winemaker at Domaine de la Vougeraie, has run the cellar. The grands crus and several premiers crus are still ploughed by horse.
Leflaive Montrachet, Chevalier, Bâtard and Bienvenues
The domaine owns parcels in four of the grands crus around Puligny-Montrachet. Its holding in Montrachet itself is only about 0.08 hectares, so these bottles are rare. Chevalier-Montrachet sits high on the slope and gives taut, mineral wines, Bâtard-Montrachet is broader and more powerful, and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet is the most floral of the four. The range here includes mature vintages of all four, going back to a Montrachet 2000.
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet premiers crus
The premiers crus are the heart of the house. In Clavoillon Leflaive owns most of the vineyard, and the wine is open and juicy. Les Pucelles is seen as the domaine's most elegant site, with white flowers and a long finish, while Les Folatières has more power. Older Clavoillon and Folatières vintages sit next to recent releases, so you can taste how these wines develop with age.
Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc, Mâcon-Verzé and Pouilly-Fuissé
The Bourgogne Blanc comes from the domaine's own vineyards around Puligny and is the classic way into the house style: pure, fresh Chardonnay with the same precision as the great wines. Since 2004 the family has also farmed vineyards in the Mâconnais, the source of Mâcon-Verzé, the single vineyard Les Chênes and Pouilly-Fuissé, including En Vigneraie. From the 2018 vintage the négociant range Esprit Leflaive was added. Explore more white wine from Burgundy.
Domaine Leflaive questions and answers
Is Domaine Leflaive the same as Olivier Leflaive?
No. Olivier Leflaive is Anne-Claude Leflaive's cousin and founded his own négociant house in the 1980s, also in Puligny-Montrachet. The two houses are independent. Wines from Olivier Leflaive have their own page.
Which Leflaive wine should I start with?
The Bourgogne Blanc and Mâcon-Verzé show the house's clear style and drink well young. To get to know Puligny, Clavoillon is the natural next step.
How long can Leflaive Montrachet and the other grands crus age?
From a good vintage the grands crus develop for fifteen years or more, gaining notes of honey and hazelnut. Premiers crus such as Les Pucelles are often at their best after five to ten years.
What food goes with Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet?
Turbot, sole, scallops, lobster or chicken in a cream sauce. A mature Comté is a fine match too.