Wine Advisor
Leflaive, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2005 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a terrific bouquet, very steely and tense. Previous bottles have tasted richer but this is almost Zen-like! The palate is fresh, taut and linear. It comes armed with a huge amount of concentration, but on this showing it would benefit from another five years in bottle! Be patient. Tasted at the 1243 Club in Beaune.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Explosive aromas of ripe stone fruits, flowers and honey. Fatter, thicker and sweeter than the more elegant Bienvenues but less precise today. A classic round, rich, full and highly concentrated 2005 with strong extract and plenty of alcohol. This big boy will need a solid decade of cellaring to burn off some of its baby fat and achieve its adult shape.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Powerful aromas of peach, spices and truffle. Big, rich and ripe (part of the fruit here reached 14.7% natural alcohol, the highest at the estate, and the blend is now about 14.2%), with slightly elevated alcohol. Avoids coming off as heavy, but the finish shows a slight bitter edge in comparison to the Bienvenue.
About the Producer
Domaine Leflaive, based in Puligny-Montrachet, is one of the most important producers in the Côte de Beaune. Focusing almost entirely on white wines made from Chardonnay, the Domaine makes four grand cru wines and four premier crus in Puligny-Montrachet. The Domaine was founded by Joseph Leflaive, a former engineer. In 1905, he purchased vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet which had been ravaged by phylloxera, and set about replanting and expanding them. Upon his death in 1953, his sons Vincent and Jo took over the running of the estate, and are widely credited with building up the reputation that Leflaive enjoys today. In 1990, cousins Anne Claude and Olivier Leflaive took over the running of the estate, with Olivier leaving in 1994 to run his own negociant business. Anne Claude converted the vineyards to biodynamics and is considered a pioneer of that movement in Burgundy. After her death in 2015, her nephew Brice de la Morandiere has taken over the running of Domaine Leflaive. Domaine Leflaive's most important wine is arguably the Montrachet Grand Cru, which, depending on vintage, can fetch upwards of $5000 a bottle. The domaine also has land in Chevalier-Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet, and Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet, and makes a grand cru wine from each. Additional to this, there are several premier cru wines, the most important of which is probably the Les Clavoillon, which was one of the wines included in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Domaine Leflaive also makes a sole red wine from Pinot Noir under the Blagny Sous le Dos d'Ane Premier Cru title.
