A fine effort, the 2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon wafts from the glass with notes of white flowers, crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh pastry and blanched almonds. Medium to full-bodied, bright and precise, it's elegant and fine-boned, with—as I observed last year—none of the blockiness of yesteryear's Clavoillon.

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes possesses an additional level of concentration this year, and it marks a transition in the portfolio between the charming, giving lower appellations and the rather more serious top premiers and grands crus. Unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp yellow orchard fruit, orange oil, Meyer lemon, almond paste and citrus blossom, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and nicely concentrated, with fine mid-palate amplitude, lively acids and a saline finish.

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières is another of the more immediate, charming wines in the range, offering up notes of crisp orchard fruit, white peach, clear honey, almond paste and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and elegantly enveloping, it's bright and fleshy, with a giving, seductive personality.

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles has also turned out very well, unwinding in the glass with aromas of fresh bread, pear, citrus oil, anise, yellow apple and toasted nuts. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and nicely concentrated, it's deep and seamless, with an elegant, charming profile. Could this evolve like a modern-day version of the domaine's stunningly good 1982?

Domaine Leflaive is an elite producer, owning vines in the top grands and premier crus of Puligny-Montrachet. In 2004, it expanded into the Mâconnais, where is now farms nearly 60 acres. The same exacting standards go into the Mâcon wines, at a fraction of the price. 

The 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a touch more pungency compared to the Bienvenue, but perhaps not quite the same alluring charm, at least at this primordial stage. The palate is where it’s at: supremely well balanced, exuding a sense of coiled-up energy countered by a dense, persistent finish. A bit of a beast, but time will tame it. Drink 2022 - 2050.

The 2018 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a terse, stoic, delineated bouquet with scents of wet limestone and sea spray, just a slight menthol note developing with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. A very pretty, elegant Bienvenue that reveals hints of blood orange and sour lemon on the precise, persistent finish. This is a gorgeous Bienvenue. Drink 2022 - 2048.

The 2018 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has an intense bouquet of lemon thyme, crushed limestone, and traces of orange pith and citrus peel that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is underpinned with a fine, almost razor-sharp bead of acidity. There is a wonderful crescendo of flavor here, leading to a multifaceted, lemongrass-tinged finish that lingers with a saline aftertaste. This is sheer class, a tremendous Chevalier-Montrachet. Drink 2024 - 2055.

The 2018 Meursault Sur le Dos de l’Ane has a very intense bouquet that is actually quite Puligny-like in style. The palate is well balanced with a saline tang on the entry, modest depth and a spicy, energetic finish. Fine. Drink 2020 - 2028.

Outstanding. An attractively layered nose combines lovely floral notes with those of citrus peel, pear and soft spice hints. The racy and tension-filled medium weight flavors possess excellent detail on the palate coating finish that is at once clean, dry and, minerally and youthfully austere. I would further observe that this is a wine that has made considerable progress over the last 10 years, and the 2018 is only the latest confirmation of that progress. In short, this is really quite promising. Drink 2028+

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru suffered more millerandage than others this year. In fact, Brice de la Morandière confessed that the vines are constantly being threatened with being grubbed up and they will review the situation every three years. This has a taut nose, very well defined, and more reserved and stonier than the Clavoillon, with alpine streams and dewy pasture scents unfurling in the glass. The well-balanced plate displays a saline tang on the entry, just a touch of orange peel and quite a spicy, persistent finish. Excellent. Drink 2022 - 2040.

Outstanding. A slightly riper though still noticeably cool nose features notes of lemon confit, essence of pear and apple compote with pretty floral wisps. The mouthfeel of the markedly stony medium-bodied flavors possess a real contrast between the relatively supple mid-palate and the powerful, serious and citrus rind and quinine-inflected finish that is quite dry but not really austere. This too is very promising. Drink 2030+

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru was one cuvée that was showing a little more reduction when I tasted the barrel sample. Skipping the aromatics, the palate is very well balanced with notes of orange peel and white peach, and a little more lime toward the finish compared to Les Combettes. Good length on the aftertaste and a little more viscosity. Very fine. Drink 2022 - 2040.

The 2018 Mâcon-Solutré is a wine of nuance and understatement more than anything else. Lemon confit, orchard fruit, white flowers and sweet oak all grace this focused, mid-weight white Burgundy. Time in the glass brings out a range of more tropical flavors. Although the 2018 is a touch compact, the persistent finish makes up for that.

The Mâcon-Verzé Le Monté is a generous, inviting wine. Creamy and ample on the palate, the Monté reveals shades of tangerine oil, chamomile, marzipan and yellow flowers, all in an expansive style that has a ton to offer. Open-knit and fleshy, the 2018 shows a lot of immediacy.

The 2018 Mâcon-Verzé Les Chenes is airy and gracious in the glass. Ripe pear, apricot, jasmine and passionfruit give the 2018 an exotic, floral feel that is impossible to miss. On the palate, the Chenes is airy and nicely lifted, not to mention super appealing. This is such a refined Burgundy.

The 2018 Pouilly-Fuissé En Vigneraie possesses lovely earthy and mineral tones that play off the natural radiance of the fruit in 2018. Apricot, orange confit and tropical overtones all build with a bit of time in the glass. The Vigneraie is a bit introspective and serious in demeanor, but also has a lot to offer.

The 2018 Pouilly-Fuissé Le Chaneau is bright, translucent and full of energy. A hint of reduction in the aromatics leads to a core of citrus confit, white flowers, mint and white pepper. Aromatically high toned and chiseled on the palate, the 2018 is superb. Bright saline notes round out the precise finish.

Richly textured, harmonious and balanced, offering lemon, peach and light pastry notes. Shows class and persistence as the lemon and baking spice accents linger on the fresh finish. Drink now through 2023. 3,500 cases made, 350 cases imported.

Like the Pucelles, the 2017 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is quite tensile and reserved, unfurling in the glass with aromas of green orchard fruit, iodine, orange rind and creamy new wood. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, textural and fleshy, but taut—even firm—at the core, with good concentration, tangy acid and a bright, chalky finish. Like all these releases, I'm looking forward to seeing it from bottle.