Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2016

The 2016 Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru, like the other of Leflaive’s grand crus, was affected by the frost. This takes time to open but eventually reveals some lovely yellow flower, flint and oyster shell aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is understated on the entry with a fine bead of acidity, but maybe the Bâtard-Montrachet demonstrated a little more drive and nervosité. There is something sedate about this Chevalier-Montrachet, with a lovely touch of spice on the aftertaste.

I have been visiting Domaine Leflaive since the late 1990s—always the same address close to the Montrachet restaurant in the heart of Puligny village. The domaine has not so much "changed" but "changed tack" since the untimely passing of Anne-Claude Leflaive and the subsequent passing of the gauntlet to Brice de la Mondarie. So perhaps I should not have been surprised when I was instructed to ring the doorbell at a different address to the one I was accustomed: their cuverie and first-year barrel cellar almost opposite the cellars of Jean-Jacques Confuron. In fact, I learned that the family owns practically the entire Rue de l’Eglise, an accretion of real estate parceled with piecemeal vineyard acquisitions over decades. I must confess that tasting in the "engine room" put a different slant on my own perspective of Leflaive. Not that I have never seen a vat room in my life. I've seen one or two. But suddenly I discovered subtle improvements in recent months. They have removed all the air conditioning and replaced it with naturally insulating material in order to create a more tranquil environment, using dry straw compacted behind the impressive arch-shaped, ocher-colored, high-ceiling walls. And of course here their new winemaker, former Domaine de la Vougeraie maestro Pierre Vincent, has worked since his appointment in January 2017.

Speaking to both Pierre and Brice, it is abundantly clear that Pierre has introduced ideas and Brice is the kind of proactive man who will ensure that they happen so as to tweak the modus operandi. One example is using nitrogen to transfer from barrel to barrel, to push the juice along the pipes and reduce their exposure to oxygen. For me the most significant change, one that has major implications for the domaine, is that now they expose the juice before pressing in one of five presses, introducing antioxidants that protect the wine once in bottle. Pierre showed me pictures of experiments with different levels of sulfur on the browned juice that clarifies and becomes clear after fermentation. They also decant the first ferment into a small vat, then reintroduce it at a later stage of conversion in order to induce a more prompt beginning to alcoholic fermentation. One hopes that these techniques will address the frequency of premature oxidation in bottle that tarnished the reputation of the domaine.

In the vineyard also, Brice is not averse to anything that will help the vines, using a helicopter to mitigate against frost damage in 2017 and pulling out parcels of old vines that had been damaged by frost. Wishing no disrespect to Anne-Claude, Brice’s can-do approach has re-energized the domaine without compromising the ideals of his predecessor. Still, no amount of biodynamics could allay the sturm und drang of the first six months of the 2016 growing season. “The frost was terrible for Puligny, especially for the Grand Crus, Bourgogne Blanc and Village Cru,” Brice told me, as usual attired in the smart suit of a country gent walking the dogs on a crisp October morning. “For the latter two it was a combination of frost and mildew. The frost really weakened the buds. The grand crus are 80% down in 2016, Les Pucelles around 20% down, but the rest of the premier crus are fine since the frost affected more the Chassagne part. The grand crus were at picked at 10 hectoliters per hectare and the Montrachet at just 5 hectoliters per hectare.” I will return to that infamous multi-grower blend of Montrachet later. Pierre Vincent continued: “We had the frost on 26 April but the rest of the season was quite good in terms of sanitary conditions. The maturity of the grapes went well and the summer was not too hot. The harvest began on 21 September, a rather later vintage than in recent years. Many people believe that it was a horrible year due to the frost, following good vintages in 2014 and 2015. But in reality, when you look at the wines themselves, 2016 is quite a good vintage. If it were not for the mildew it could have been fantastic."

My tasting began with two labels that I rarely taste, their Pouilly-Fuissé which comes from several parcels, one of which is destined for premier cru classification when it incepts, and their Auxey-Duresses Blanc which comes from purchased fruit. The premier crus, all raised in 20% new oak, really take off with the excellent Les Combettes, Folatières and Les Pucelles, equal to the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. And this year, the Bâtard-Montrachet demonstrated a touch more drive than the Chevalier-Montrachet, though Brice himself suggested that in several years the Chevalier will edge ahead of its bastard cousin. Hmm…let’s wait and see on that. I loved the Bâtard-Montrachet that overcame the frost damage to produce a wine of genuine tension and mineralité. Of course, there is a fourth grand cru, the 2016 Montrachet. The devastation prompted six growers to blend what survived of their Montrachet, lest they blend it into premier cru. There are just under two barrels, transferred into two stainless steel vats in the corner of Domaine Leflaive just next to the Chevalier-Montrachet. It is due to be bottled next year. “There are 500 bottles,” Brice explained. “Instead of dividing it up according to contribution with the labels of domaines [which the authorities immediately refused] we have formed a company called “L’Exceptionel Vendange de Sept Domaine” that will release and distribute the wine.” Sept? Seven? I thought there were six growers. Apparently one holding is split with a métayage, hence seven. At the moment discussions are ongoing about how the wine will be distributed.