For those of you who have not heard of the Leflaive & Associes project and want to learn more, please click here. In essence, this project is Domaine Leflaive's negociant business, but as you might expect, Anne Claude has approached it slightly differently from your traditional negoce business. The most important difference is that Anne Claude and her team not only constantly monitor these non-domaine vineyards, but they also pick them themselves. So in reality, apart from not owning the vineyards this is a Domaine wine as the wine is also vinified and aged at the Domaine. It goes without saying that all the growers involved are farming their grapes to the same biodynamic standards as the Domaine.
To accompany our Truffled Boudin Blanc, with mashed potato and apples we were served the Rully Blanc 1er Cru 2008 and 2009. The 2008, as one would expect, was the more expressive wine with an intense tangerine and stone fruit palate, a wonderfully glycerol texture and finishing off with the Leflaive signature of energy, vibrancy and piercing minerality. This wine is ready for immediate consumption and a wonderful match for the food. The 2009, showed a little more tension, and was generally received as the slightly superior wine, but in need of a little more time in the bottle for the firm acidity and crystalline minerality to soften and blend together. A serious Rully - how many times do you hear that?
As well as the Leflaive & Associes wines, we were also treated to the Bienvenues Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2006. Antoine Lepetit, Anne Claude's right hand man, who came over from France to launch the new project, thought that the Bienvenues needed more time to be fully expressive(Leflaive's Grand Cru wines are known for their longevity, and often needing ten years before they reach their peak). However with a little time in the glass, the more discreet of the Grand Crus, showed real class with wonderful power, poise and elegance. A beautiful partner to the whole roasted place with brown butter, lemon and capers.
Leflaive has always been about white burgundy, and has not made any red wine since the Blagny Sous le Dos d'Ane in 2002, so it was with much excitement that we approached the two reds, Monthélie 1er Cru Sur la Velle 2009 and the Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2009 to accompany our selection of cheeses.
On the nose, the Monthelie was alive with bright cherry, raspberry and red fruit aromas. Considering this wine was only bottled in May, the tannins and oak were incredibly well integrated with a wonderfully supple texture. Clearly there was plenty of youthfulness in this wine, but is a wine to be enjoyed now or cellared for the medium term depending on one's preferences.
The Charmes Chambertin, with its brooding dark colour in the glass promised a lot, and did not disappoint with notes of dark cherries and hints of liquorice and, possibly due the 80% stems included in the vinification, and almost savoury note. The palate was a mass of layered fruit with an alluring finish of violets and herbal tinges. While it was possible to get inside this wine, it would clearly benefit from a further 4 years or so.
All in all, this is a very exciting addition to the Leflaive portfolio. It is reassuring to see the same degree of passion and care going into these new and superb wines - a thoroughly enjoyable lunch.
Blog by Andrew Johnson
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