Domaine Leflaive - Exceptional releases direct from the Domaine.

 

February 2010 - Offers

 

The wines will be shipped to the UK in April 2010. Wines are offered on a first come, first served basis but where demand exceeds supply, we reserve the right to favour those submitting a balanced request across the Domaine’s wines. All prices are in bond UK, per case as described.

Bourgogne Blanc 2006

price per case In Bond              £240 per 6 bottles  

Supplies of the the 2002 Bourgogne have long been exhausted but with the 2006 showing so well already, we have not hesitated to accept Anne-Claude’s offer to bring this fabulous wine to the attention of our customers for a second time. Gold with hints of green, on the nose the wine is floral in character with notes of dried apricot just starting to emerge. On the palate, butter and pastry notes show the development and although the wine is generous and giving, there is balancing acidity to provide the counterpoint. The overall feel is fresh, vital and clearly à point. Eric Rémy suggests the wine can easily last a further 5-6 years but admits that there is no need for such patience.

Puligny Montrachet 2002

price per case In Bond              £250 per 6 bottles  

With time in bottle, this has blossomed, offered a complex nose of grapefruit, roasted almonds, toast and smoked ham. On the palate, there is still a tautness to the structure and the seam of acidity running through it keeps the wine moving and lively as it is worked. Fresh, pure and engaging and still developing, this is in an excellent place right now and offers enormous pleasure.

Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Clavoillon 2002

price per case In Bond              £350 per 6 bottles    

On the nose, notes of soft nectarine and stem ginger are offered in a graceful, understated manner. The sotto voce approach continues on the palate, with the wine serene and sure, offering purity and tenderness rather than forcefulness or aggression. Slowly but surely, finely depicted spices start to emerge – cloves and cinnamon, accompanied by the fragrance of wild thyme and rosemary. The finish is outstanding, poised, lingering and clean as a whistle. This is another 2002 clearly in its prime drinking window and another demonstration of the heights now being hit year upon year with Clavoillon.

Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Folatières 2002

price per case In Bond              £600 per 6 bottles    

The nose here is more exuberant and intense, with notes of crème caramel, silex and gunflint. On the palate, the tasting notes point towards the soils and the extra warmth of the site but it is the nervy energy with which the wine is carried that really grips you, showing tremendous dynamism. This extra surge of power is not the only trick though as at the same time calming, haunting notes of linden are released before a finish of freshness, vitality and distinction. Clearly a wine with more in reserve but totally bewitching already.

Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Combettes 2002

price per case In Bond              £750 per 6 bottles    

Combettes and Folatières make for a fascinating duo, with Combettes carrying the plaudits for refinement and precision but Folatières having the greater range. This begins with a similar note of crème caramel and on the palate, this merges towards pastry and the almondy tones of crème patissière. Behind these richer notes is a more austere and correcting note of aniseed and menthol, bringing a medicinal character. The interplay between these gustatory elements is intriguing and the wine moves with such grace and poise, with each detail so finely picked out, that it is easy to become mesmerised by it. This is artistry, brilliantly executed.

Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Pucelles 2002

price per case In Bond              £850 per 6 bottles  

This is as close to perfection as we have ever seen with Pucelles. Indeed we wondered aloud whether there would ever be a better candidate to put in front of a neophyte and say “this is what white burgundy is all about”. At this stage in its development, Pucelles outshines the Grand Crus. Notes of grapefruit, soft butter and pain d’épices start the adventure before a palate full of dynamism, freshness and vigour. The sense of health and energy is truly captivating, the wine being driven forward constantly but always knowing when it needs to pull back. The finish is predictably outstanding, defined, intense, long and with crystalline purity. A remarkable wine now in its prime but with many years of pleasure ahead of it.

Bienvenues Bâtard Montrachet Grand Cru 2002

price per case In Bond              £1250 per 6 bottles  

After the sheer brilliance of the Pucelles, the gauntlet was truly thrown down to the Grand Crus. It should be no surprise though that the nobility of the village are choosing their own timeframe to take up the challenge. This is still a very young Bienvenues, with a tight structure and a reserved, almost shy character that suggests plenty to come but currently gives little. We spent considerable time with it and the more we worked it, the more it started to reveal, notes of white pepper, soft blossoms and honeysuckle still speaking of its primary phase rather than something more developed. Eric suggests a long decant and an afternoon at table to enjoy it fully, otherwise lock it away for at least five more years.

Bâtard Montrachet Grand Cru 2002

price per case In Bond              £1500 per 6 bottles  

True to type, it is hard to keep the old Bâtard down and even in its early adolescence, this is already broad-shouldered, walking with a swagger and wanting to dominate conversation. It is as formidable a young wine as we have seen for some time, precocious, cocksure and clearly extremely gifted. In the mouth, the wine immediately fills every inch, bounding with fearsome energy and announcing itself in total disregard of any possible reprisal. It knows it is good already and that its future holds nothing more than greatness.

Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru 2002

price per case In Bond              £1950 per 6 bottles  

The Chevalier always has the last word at any Leflaive tasting and there is always something superior and grandiose about its oratory. A simple discussion of aromatics here seems to miss the points, although for the record, they do show a little more development, with crème anglaise and a subtle toastiness alongside the more primary notes of little citric fruits. It is the character of this wine and the experience that tasting it can give that helps to explain its status and reverence in the hierarchy of the wine world. In its delivery, you can see its nobility and other-worldliness. Whereas the Bâtard, brilliant as it is, postures like a young pure-breed bull, the Chevalier seems to gain in stature and scale before your eyes yet somehow defying gravity, soaring vertically in the mouth with movement akin to vinous levitation. This wine is not earth-bound, possessing an extra dimension, inhabiting a different realm. For us mere mortals, we suggest writing off an afternoon to spend in its company, any time from now and over the next 20 years.