Domaine Leflaive : Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Combettes" 2023

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Combettes" 2023 from Domaine Leflaive

A Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Shaped by Biodynamic Farming at Domaine Leflaive

The Estate

Domaine Leflaive was founded in 1905, when Joseph Leflaive acquired the family's first significant vineyard holdings in Puligny-Montrachet, laying the groundwork for what has become one of Burgundy's most respected names for white wine. Spanning roughly 25 hectares across Puligny-Montrachet, the Mâconnais and the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, the estate is today led by Brice de la Morandière, great-grandson of the founder. Domaine Leflaive was among the earliest Burgundian estates to embrace biodynamic farming, a practice it has pursued consistently since the 1990s across its historic plots.

The Vineyard

The Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Combettes" comes from a single 0.73-hectare parcel located at the edge of the village, close to the boundary with Meursault. The chardonnay vines, planted in 1963 and 1972, grow on clay-limestone soil typical of the Côte de Beaune. Like the rest of the estate, this plot is farmed biodynamically, with strictly controlled yields and a fully manual harvest guided by careful, parcel-by-parcel monitoring of ripeness.

The Vintage

The 2023 growing season in Puligny-Montrachet produced generous yields, standing in clear contrast to the more difficult and far less abundant 2024 vintage. This favorable volume allowed the domaine to maintain its usual rigorous selection at harvest while still gathering a comfortable crop from the Les Combettes parcel.

Winemaking and aging

For the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Combettes" 2023, grapes are hand-picked and sorted before undergoing a long, gentle pneumatic pressing. The juice settles for twenty-four hours before racking, then is transferred into oak barrels, 22% of them new, sourced evenly from the Vosges and the Allier, for alcoholic fermentation. The wine is then aged for twelve months in barrel, followed by six additional months in stainless steel tank, with homeopathic fining and light filtration applied only when needed.

Grape Variety

100% chardonnay.