Domaine Leflaive Montrachet Grand Cru 2004 White

About the wine
For many decades, Domaine Leflaive was the benchmark estate in Puligny-Montrachet, with 22ha of fabulous vineyards (today almost 28ha) in many premiers crus and also in four grands crus. Its reputation had faded in the 1980s, possibly because generous yields had led to a loss of concentration. However, in 1990 Vincent Leflaive retired and his daughter Anne-Claude became a co-director alongside her cousin Olivier. By then she was formidably well trained as a soil expert and oenologist. In 1994 she was in charge, aided by Pierre Morey, the cellarmaster at the domaine for 20 years up to 2008, who shared her enthusiasm for biodynamic farming. The reputation of the domaine’s 1992 Montrachet may have been enhanced by the fact that it was only their second vintage from this grand cru.

The quintessential Chardonnay, it is an awesomely rich, highly extracted wine oozing with flavour, yet it is marvellously precise and focused… The [Leflaive Montrachet] wines are renowned for their purity and elegance, but the 1992s also display a special level of richness and intensity. -RP

Even at almost 30 years of age, the 1992 Montrachet is still cruising along like it was only 10, as the freshness of the aromas is uncanny… exotic fruit aromas with fantastically complex secondary nuances as well as those of wet stone, honeysuckle and anise. The thick, concentrated and opulent, broad-shouldered flavours possess an incredible level of mouth-coating dry extract that… confers a distinct texture onto the mineral-driven and gorgeously long finish. This is one powerful effort, in fact so much so that this can only be drunk slowly. A stunner of a wine by any definition. -AM

Wine of
the Year

2004

France

100