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.

This is the largest Premier Cru of Puligny. Looking closely at a map of the Premier Cru, you’ll notice patches of vineyards declassified to the village level. During soil work at the end of the 19th century, the nature of the soil was artificially changed with the addition of foreign soil types. The name has two potential origins: either the “folles terres” (crazy land) because of the numerous landslides that happened in the past after heavy rain, or the “feu follet” (Will-o’-the-wisp), an atmospheric phenomenon that creates a “ghost light” that appears above a humid area at night.

Marked by frost and humidity, this year proved to be particularly difficult for the vines.

With premature advances in the vineyards in March due to warm spring-like temperatures, the losses from early April frosts proved to be quite extreme (30%-80% in some vineyards). June offered an alternation of stormy periods and heat, including an episode of hail on the 21st in Solutré. The pressure from mildew and powdery mildew was a constant this year, with a rainy period in July, requiring expert intervention from our vineyard teams. In August and September, we observed a significant rise in temperatures which allowed for the maturity of the grapes to catch up. Harvest began on September 22nd for a period of 8 days, before the rain returned.

In this complicated year, between frost and humidity, the maturity remained remarkable with degrees (12.5% potential alcohol) offering promise for a most satisfying vintage.