Domaine Leflaive et Associés Mâcon-Verzé ‘Le Chênes’ 2022

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Domaine Leflaive has been developingfor many years long-term partnerships with some vinegrowers that share their passion for the requirement of meticulous work in the vineyard without contribution other than natural supplements. These wines are issued from the Côte de Beaune and notably Auxey-Duresses and Puligny-
Montrachet and the Côte Chalonnaise (Rully 1er cru). They are vinified by the Domaine Leflaive’s team, in separate cellars in Puligny-Montrachet. In order to distinguish them from the historical part of the domaine, they are given their own identity under the name “Leflaive & Associés”.

About Domaine Leflaive

Domaine Leflaive based in Puligny-Montrachet boasts a supreme portfolio of vineyard holdings, including five hectares of 1er Cru and 13 acres of Grand Cru. The Domaine heralds from 1717, yet the family line traces back to Joseph Leflaive (1870-1953), an engineer who worked on the first French submarine. In 1905, Leflaive was able to buy 25 hectares at a very low price, due to the widespread vineyard decimation caused by the phylloxera epidemic. In 1920, Leflaive began a replanting programme with better adapted root stock. After Joseph’s death in 1953, his son’s Vincent and Jo cemented the Domaine’s reputation as one of the leading estates in all of Burgundy. In 1973 the brothers restructured the Domaine as a company to avoid splitting it up in adherence to French inheritance laws: the Napoleonic law of succession is largely responsible for the large fragmentation of vineyard plots throughout the region.

In 1990, Vincent’s daughter Anne-Claude Leflaive and her Cousin Olivier Leflaive began running the Estate. Olivier assumed responsibility for running the negociant business and as such in 1994, Anne-Claude took over the running of the Domaine. In 2009, Olivier lost the holdings, which are now separately known as Olivier Leflaive, Domaine Leflaive however, remains more sought after and greater prized. After the untimely death of Anne-Claude Leflaive in April 2015, the estate is now being managed by Brice de la Morandiere who is Anne-Claude’s nephew and great grandson of Joseph, with the winemaking under the control of Eric Remy.

In 1997 after seven years of experimenting with one third of the Domaine biodynamic and two thirds organic, she decided to transform the Domaine to completely biodynamic methods. This mirrored the footsteps of Lalou Bize-Leroy and Nicolas Joly, who believe herbicides and fertilisers cause long-term damage to the soil. The wines are aged for 12 months in 25% new French oak and then moved to steel tanks allowing the wine to clarify over a second winter of ageing and integration.

Leflaive boast spectacular 1er Cru parcels in Les Pucelles, Folatieres, Les Combettes and Le Clavoillon. Le Clavoillon borders Les Pucelles in the central limestone and marl escarpments of the village, Puligny-Montrachet, which runs through the middle of Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet and as such shares much of their characteristics.

In the Vineyard

Prime holdings: Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (1.91 ha), Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (1.15 ha), Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru (1.99 ha) and Le Clavoillon Premier Cru (4.79 ha–around 80% of the 1er cru)

In the Winery

Where in the World is Domaine Leflaive?

Domaine Leflaive is based in Puligny-Montrachet with a brace of Grand Cru and Premier Cru holdings throughout the Côte de Beaune. In addition they have considerable holdings in the Mâcon. This wine is from Mâcon-Verzé.