Domaines Leflaive : Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru "Clavoillon" 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clavoillon" 2023 from Domaine Leflaive

Tasting

Nose

The nose opens with expressive notes of white fruit, led by white peach and pear, accompanied by floral touches of acacia. A refined minerality, underscored by hints of citrus and lemon zest, completes this bouquet, at once generous and airy, revealing the typicity of the Puligny-Montrachet terroir.

Palate

On the palate, this premier cru captivates with a balance between indulgence and precision. The ripe, generous fruit is carried by a well-measured acidity and a satiny texture resulting from aging on the lees. The saline, elegant finish brings tension and length, confirming the hedonistic reputation of this climat within the Domaine Leflaive range.

Food and Wine Pairings

This wine pairs beautifully with noble white meats, such as truffled poultry or fillet of sole with mushrooms, as well as shellfish such as lobster. It also goes very well with more classic poultry, roasted or pan-fried, such as chicken or turkey.

Serving and Cellaring

The Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clavoillon" 2023 can ideally be enjoyed from 2029, with an aging potential of up to around fifteen years according to specialist tasters.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clavoillon": the clay-limestone signature of Domaine Leflaive

The Estate

Founded in 1910 by Joseph Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, in the heart of the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy, Domaine Leflaive is now run by Brice de La Morandière, who has been manager since 2015. Remaining entirely family-owned since its creation, the estate committed in 1997 to rigorous biodynamic viticulture, applied to its grand cru and premier cru parcels in Puligny-Montrachet, as well as to its vines in the Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais. This commitment, combined with a deep respect for living systems, has made Domaine Leflaive an essential reference among Chardonnay producers in Burgundy.

The Vineyard

The "Clavoillon" climat is a 1er Cru of Puligny-Montrachet with a total area of approximately 5.6 hectares, of which Domaine Leflaive owns almost the entirety, some 4.69 hectares. Neighboring the climats of Pucelles and Folatières, Clavoillon rests on clay-limestone soil whose layer of topsoil, slightly thicker than in the surrounding area, gives the wines a rich and generous personality. The vines, planted between 1962 and 2012, are farmed biodynamically, with careful attention to the soils and biodiversity, in keeping with the practices applied across the estate's historic vineyard in Puligny-Montrachet.

The Vintage

The 2023 vintage follows on from an excellent 2022, with a growing season that was well balanced overall in climatic terms. After a mild, dry winter, February and March saw cool but steady temperatures, encouraging a gradual end to the vines' dormancy. April, temperate and free of any significant frost, preserved the integrity of the buds. May and early June were cooler and wetter, with an alternation of warm days and cool nights that favored flowering. A brief, hot and stormy spell in early July did not affect the vines, as regular rainfall helped cool the soils. This pattern led to differences in ripeness between parcels, prompting the estate to begin the harvest on August 29 with a reduced team, before stepping up the pace in early September with the return of the heat, choosing to stop picking each day at 2 p.m. to preserve the freshness of the grapes.

Vinification and Aging

The vinification of the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clavoillon" 2023 begins with a long, gentle pneumatic pressing of the carefully sorted grapes, followed by twenty-four hours of settling. The must is then transferred to oak barrels for alcoholic fermentation, and malolactic fermentation also takes place in barrel. Aging continues for twelve months in barrel on the lees, followed by ten months in stainless steel tank on fine lees, which refines the texture while preserving freshness. Fining and filtration are kept to a minimum, or even omitted, in order to preserve all the complexity and vibrancy of the wine.

Grape Variety

This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay, the emblematic grape variety of the great white wines of the Côte de Beaune.