Wine Advisor
Leflaive, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2017 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a reticent bouquet of lemon rind, citrus, hazelnut cream, white flowers and mandarin oil. On the palate, it's full-bodied, both denser and blockier than the Bienvenues-Bâtard, with exceptional concentration, tangy acids and a long finish. Today, the wine is only partially formed, but it's immensely promising. Pierre Vincent told me that it attained 12.8% natural alcohol, but despite that rather modest degree for a grand cru white Burgundy, it displays plenty of power and substance.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Pale yellow. Less expressive on the nose than the Bienvenue, conveying a honeyed ripeness and a hint of resiny oak. Then tightly clenched in the mouth, with a penetrating orange juice flavor dominating. Not at all a fat wine, this is hard to taste today and needs time to expand. Its power suggests that it will evolve slowly.
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.
