Refreshing Whites

wines

Balance is always the hallmark of the Bâtard from Leflaive as the fresh minerality of the Puligny side plays against the luxurious ripe, almost tropical notes of the south-facing Chassagne side of the vineyard. Here the wine is a bit restrained on the nose, but the substance and structure is immediately apparent. 2019 is a vintage that will need some time to show its full potential, but the rich, voluptuous character is evident from the start. Immense length and potential for ageing. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECThe 2019 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru shows a little more clarity, a touch more crystalline on the nose compared to the Bienvenue, scents of Granny Smith apples, petrichor and gunflint. It is controlled and penetrating. The palate is extremely well balanced with a fine silver bead of acidity that cuts through the concentrated malic fruit, a dash of pepper towards the finish that fans out gloriously, sour lemon and grapefruit lingering on the aftertaste. Wonderful. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 96 VMThis has a broad nose of seashore, lime blossom, hazelnut and citronella, with ample citrus and mineral flavors in reserve. Shows intensity and balance, with a superlong aftertaste that focuses the mineral elements. Terrific freshness and complexity. Best from 2023 through 2029. 115 cases made, 23 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2019 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has turned out very well indeed, offering up aromas of pear, orange oil, white flowers, nutmeg and freshly baked bread, framed by a subtle touch of youthful reduction. Full-bodied, satiny and elegantly muscular, it's racy and concentrated, with more mid-palate plenitude and chalky structure than the more delicate Bienvenues.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP(Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru White) An exuberantly floral-suffused nose speaks of citrus, spice, passion fruit, exotic Asian-style tea and a touch of anise. The bigger and richer broad-shouldered flavors remain focused and almost as refined with superb depth and persistence on the impeccably well-balanced finale. This is also very classy and a wine that should age gracefully for several decades. This is also a bona fide stunner of a wine. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 95-97 BH

Leflaive owns four contiguous parcels in the center of BBM that total 1.15 hectares, nearly half of the appellation. The vines lie just down the slope from one of their four Bâtard parcels. In 2019, Leflaive began their harvest on September 11th. The Bienvenues has retained a rewarding freshness, with a forward fruit that has both tropical and citrus elements and plenty of floral notes. The texture is lively but supple; there is plenty of fresh acidity that brings a pleasant energy to the wine. This should age for decades to come. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECUnwinding in the glass with aromas of peach, pear, hazelnuts and dried white flowers, framed by a deft touch of youthful reduction, the 2019 Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, its concentrated core of fruit framed by racy acids and chalky extract. Like the Pucelles, this is precise and fine boned, but it’s also more muscular and intense.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2019 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is cut from a similar cloth to the Les Pucelles on the nose: reserved, mineral-driven with hints of orange blossom emerging with time, later more Granny Smith apples. The palate is strict and precise, demonstrating impressive weight, especially towards the back end. Maybe not quite as complex as the best of Leflaive’s Premier Cru, though it is extremely pesistent with a long ginger-tinged aftertaste. Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 94 VMThis lemon- and apple-flavored white is underlined by an oyster shell, iodine element. Complex and balanced, offering baking spice accents and a fine lingering finish of lemon and minerality on an open-knit frame. Best from 2024Wine Spectator | 94 WS(Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru White) Here the equally beautiful nose is quite similar to that of the Pucelles save for being much more restrained. Cool, pure and almost painfully intense flavors possess the same sleek, sophisticated and graceful texture as well as even better persistence on the youthfully austere, compact and wonderfully complex finale. This is a stunner of a Bienvenues. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 94-96 BH

The 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru needed a little encouragement from the glass. Eventually it reveals captivating scents of honeysuckle, petrichor and pressed yellow flowers, an underlying spiciness that comes through with aeration. The palate has a beguiling symmetry from the start: a killer line of acidity counterbalancing the intensity of this Chevalier, gentle grip towards the spicy and "flowing" finish. Everything you could really want in a Chevalier-Montrachet Closure: Diam 30Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is produced from Leflaive’s three parcels of Chevalier that total more than 1.8ha in the centre of the appellation. Most of the vines run from the top to the bottom of the vineyard to give a wine of regal balance. The grapes are lightly crushed and slowly pressed before fermentation in cask (25% new). The 2019 vintage delivered a wine of impressive concentration and freshness with a pronounced minerality yet the density and richness to carry it to a spectacular finish. The combination of finesse and power in this wine is truly striking.Decanter | 98 DECLeflaive’s 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with scents of Anjou pear, orange oil, clear honey, white flowers and freshly baked bread, framed by a deft touch of youthful reduction. Full-bodied, concentrated and incisive, it’s textural but taut, its satiny attack segueing into a deep, chiseled mid-palate, concluding with a long, electric finish. This is a brilliant Chevalier with a long life ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThis is even more aromatically elegant with its intensely floral-suffused aromas that include acacia, lavender and rose petal along with an array of white fleshed fruit, spice and subtle wood influence. The cool, intense and precise large-scaled flavors brim with both sappy dry extract and minerality, all wrapped in a tightly coiled, linear and remarkably persistent finish. This is incredibly promising and very clearly built-to-age.Burghound | 96-98 BHA concentrated white, this features vanilla, butter pastry, peach, hazelnut cream and apple flavors. Concise and bracing yet balanced, this should come together nicely in a year or two. Ends with a mineral flourish and a tactile sensation. Best from 2024 through 2030. 95 cases made, 19 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS