Domaine Leflaive
Domaine Leflaive, situated in Puligny-Montrachet, is widely regarded as one of the most important producers in the Côte de Beaune. Although the Leflaive family has been present in Burgundy since 1717, the real founder of the domaine was Joseph Leflaive in 1905.
Domaine Leflaive is specialized in producing white wines made from the Chardonnay grape, but they also make some red wines from Pinot Noir as well, most notably the Blagny 1er Cru “Sous le Dos d’ane”. In total, the domaine produces wines from four Grand Crus and four Premier Crus in Puligny-Montrachet and from one Premier Cru vineyard in Meursault.
In 1990 the domaine was in the hands of both Anne-Claude Leflaive and Olivier Leflaive, but the latter decided to start his own business in 1994, leaving Anne-Claude as the sole manager of the domaine.
After several years of experiments with both organic and bio-dynamic techniques, the entire property was transformed to bio-dynamic farming in 1997.
First the wines spend a year in oak barrels, before they are aged in stainless-steel tanks for another six months prior to bottling. The domain’s most important plots are in: Le Montrachet Grand Cru (0.08 Ha and their most sought-after wine, with an average price tag of € 5000 or more), Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (1.92 Ha), Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru (1.91 Ha), and Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru (1.15 Ha). The Premier Crus are: “Les Pucelles” (3.05 Ha), “Les Folatières” (1.25 Ha), “Les Combettes” (0.71 Ha), “Clavoillon” (4.80 Ha) and in Meursault / Blagny: “Sous le Dos d’Âne” (0.54 Ha). They also produce some excellent wines from vineyards in Macon-Verzé, Pouilly-Fuissé and Auxey-Duresses.
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