WINERY The roots of the Leflaive family go back to 1717 when Claude Leflaive took up residence in Puligny-Montrachet, intent upon cultivating several acres of vineyards. The domaine, in its present form, was created by Joseph Leflaive between the years of 1910-1930, as a result of his successive purchases of vineyards and houses. Domaine Leflaive has been entirely a family domaine since its creation. Brice de La Morandière, great-grandson of the founder, Joseph Leflaive, represents the fourth generation at the head of the domaine. In 2015, after an international corporate career, he succeeded Anne-Claude, pioneer in biodynamics. It is with the same philosophy of respect for thegreat terroirs, humility toward the forces of nature and relentless pursuit of excellence in viticulture and in winemaking that the domaine will continue to grow in the future.

WINE A selection of unique wines, Esprit Leflaive was born in the 2018 vintage. At the crossroads of fabulous terroirs from Burgundy and an expertise in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Esprit Leflaive ventures beyond the Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais, to Chablis and the Côte de Nuits, to explore the wider Burgundy.

The red wine range in the L’Esprit Leflaive offering is perhaps a touch more intriguing than the whites, if only because pinot noir has historically never really factored into the domaine’s range in any significant way. Even with this village-level offering, Pierre Vincent’s elegant and deft touch in expressing the beautiful character of pinot noir, even from appellations often considered to be bordering upon rustic, is fully apparent. This wine has polish and balance beyond its label and expresses lovely balance.

The 2020 vintage was remarkable for its quality and yield. After a mild, rainy autumn and winter, spring started early with sunny and windy weather. Despite the two-month lockdown, work in the vineyard proceeded as usual. Flowering occurred under ideal conditions in late May, suggesting an early vintage. Despite cool, rainy June weather, we anticipated a generous harvest. The summer was hot and dry, punctuated by a heat wave in August and much-needed rainfalls on August 17 and 22. Harvesting began in Puligny on August 20, yielding grapes in excellent condition with lots of juice and fruity aromas, a pleasant surprise considering the summer heat.

Manual harvesting with partial whole bunch vinification, and long maceration in wooden vats with some manual punching down. Aged 15 months in oak barrels (including 25% in new barrels) then 3 months in stainless steel vats.

The crushed black fruits and the finesse of the tannins can only confirm the origin of this wine in the Côte de Nuits. This very fine, delicate and complex wine demonstrates that this terroir is very close of the best vintages of the appellation.