1947 — 2018

Vintages

Novembre 2016

“Mature white Burgundy inhabits a different world from the young wines we are increasingly accustomed to drinking.

It is a world of depth and mellow, assured intensity.

Think of a concerto for strings. Young white Burgundy is a violin – it can display impressive virtuosity but it lacks range. For that, you need the viola, the cello and the double bass.

This – call it resonance, or gravitas – is what properly aged white Burgundy delivers.”

Guy Seddon

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6 7

TastingA PUCELLE 1987 WITH THE FAMILY

For some time now, I have been searching for the right occa-sion to share an older vintage. It had to be the right time, with the right people and at the right place to make our tribute complete. Valérie, my wife, Achille and Aziyadé, my son and my daughter are gathered here, in Puligny, this evening. We are also hosting Étienne de Montille and his son Louis for dinner as I wanted us to share this experience together. I went to the cellar and picked up a bottle a little at random: it was a Pucelles 1987.

While my son Achille gently pulls the cork out, we are all star-ing at the bottle: 1987. Already 31 years ago! This was the year Etienne came up to me at Sciences Po: “I know you're from Puligny. I am from Volnay’’. We have remained close ever since. In 1987, the Domaine was run by our uncle Vincent with his cheeky smile and an often mischievous look. There was no one quite like him to tell the story of the Grands Crus of Puligny, especially that very moment when the Chevalier (knight) meets the pretty Pucelle (virgin) after many years of Crusade…

1987 was also the last year before the retirement of our then régisseur, Jean Virot, son of the illustrious François Virot who built the estate with my great grandfather Joseph in the 20s and 30s. In 1987, the work of the vineyard was still marked by the need to produce the amount required to make ends meet. This vintage is 3 years before our first trials of biody-namic farming and 9 years before the full conversion. What a contrast with Burgundy nowadays! Yet all this was only thirty-one years ago.

Dare we say it: there is always an apprehension when opening an old bottle. The expectations are high as old vintages offer a fantastic aromatic display, very different from the newer vin-tages, whatever their quality. At the same time, we all know that after so many years, there are no such things as good or bad vintages. Only good and “not so good” bottles. The 87 vintage was not particularly illustrious. It was a cold year, maturity was very late and we started harvesting on October 1st. The fact remains that tasting a Pucelles 1987 is rare, and tonight our expectations have reached the pinnacle.

We delicately pour the wine into the Zalto glasses and we enter into a silent meditation, transported by the nose slowly opening up, then more and more quickly as we swirl the wine in our glasses. Achille immediately notices ripe mirabelles (small yellow plums). The aromas are delivered one after the other. First honey, then fresh walnut and almond. Aziyadé then discovers notes of thyme or more precisely infusion based on thyme: subtle, delicate and elegant.

On the palate, the texture of the wine feels incredibly silky and concentrated. Louis rightly notes the remarkable balance of a wine one and a half time older than him. As years go by, both alcohol and acidity reduce, yet each constituent responds today with subtlety and elegance. Notes of quince are present on the palate and Étienne mentions sensations of wet stone, almost like those of a Riesling. Achille finds spicy hint of white pepper. We finally all agree on the delicate presence of another herbal tea: a star anise.

Valérie arrives a little after the beginning of the tasting so her first reaction is on the colour: amber, towards red-brown. It reminded me of a gem similar to the yellow emerald: the beryl. I wonder why we have not noticed the colour earlier. Maybe because each one of us knows that an old vintage could simply be beautiful while having that dark aspect which, on a more recent vintage would be a fatal sign…

This Pucelle 1987 was, this evening, with Valérie, Achille, Aziyadé, Étienne and with Louis, simply magnificent. The emotions that this tasting brought us, literally transported us, so much so that this powerful shared moment will remain engraved for a long time in our memory. Is it simply the wine or is it rather this rare moment of sharing with friends and family?

Brice, Valérie, Achille, Aziyadé de La MorandièreÉtienne, Louis de Montille

8 9

1970 Generous harvest, wines are delicate and elegant without depth however.

1971 Lots of coulure and millerandage (poor fruit set). The summer was marked by heavy heat and a

succession of storms (19 August), many of them hail-bearing (insurers very nearly shut up shop when it was time to settle). A small, very ripe harvest, with powerful aromas

1972 After a harsh winter, mild and mild spring allows early budding. The months of May and June are

cold and flowering is late. Summer alternates between warm periods and wet periods. The harvest ban is declared on Octo-ber 5th under ideal conditions. The quantities are generous and the acidity very high.

1973 Very pure vintage, wines are long, deep and elegant.

1974 A particularly difficult year, with alternating epi-sodes fresh and wet then hot and dry. The season

also experienced periods of frost and hail, affecting flowering and therefore quantities. Selling is no exception and happens in “terrible” weather conditions.

1975 The 1975 vintage is the worse of the Côte d'Or since 1968. The sad end of a rainy season has produced

red and white sharply decayed (botytis) and unripe. Many winemakers decided to downgrade their wines or even in extreme case not to even harvest them!

1976 “May be the earliest vintage of the century”. Har-vesting begins in the first days of September. This

year is characterized by a long drought (from April to Septem-ber). Strong wines, sometimes difficult to understand. Some evolve very slowly and seem to be able to age forever.

1977 In strong contrast with the previous year, this vin-tage is again difficult and particularly wet and

very fresh. It rained much of the season, included during the harvest. The level of maturity is lower than usual.

1978 Difficult flowering (coulure, millerandage, giving a poor fruit set) produced a small, very concentrated

harvest; fairly rigid wines with great ageing potential and a lovely bouquet.

1979 An abundant year, with particularly ripe, healthy fruit. Very good balance and good ageing capacity.

1947 Great vintage, the earliest harvest.

1949 A good vintage, with clean, straight and elegant wines. Many wines of this vintage have long since

disappeared. Few tasting references.

1950 Abundant harvest, racy wines, pleasant and some-times excellent.

1953 Very good vintage, in line with 1949.

1955 Abundant harvest, excellent wines with body and finesse.

1959 Big harvest, a lot of fun in their youth.

1961 Nice bottles overall with a nice balance. Big har-vest, a lot of fun in their youth. Nice bottles overall

with a nice balance.

1962 Beautiful harvest, elegant year, fine and full-bodied wines.

1964 Remarkable year.

1966 Generous yields, splendid wines!

1969 A small, very concentrated harvest, with well- balanced wines and good ageing potential.

1947 — 1979

Vintages

10 11

1984 Normal fruit set, but difficult flowering (mid-June to mid-July) with substantial “millerandage” (shot

berries). As a result, harvest volume was lower than average. After a fine summer, followed by a difficult month of Sep-tember, the harvest took place mainly in good weather. This allowed the best winemakers to produce fresh, perfumed wines, with a certain liveliness favourable to good ageing. Harvest from 4 to 15 October.

1985 The winter's particularly tough weather condi-tions and heavy localised spring frosts produced

a harvest that was irregular in terms of volume. In Puligny- Montrachet, frost damage was limited. Fortunately, late flowering was offset by the high heat of the summer and autumn, with long, intense exposure to light. Exceptional conditions for a harvest starting on 26 September and ending 10 October.

1986 A fairly late budburst was offset by very rapid flowering, encouraged by warm, dry weather.

Apart from some rain around 15 August and 15 September, the sun predominated until the end of the harvest. The white wines provide a very charming first impression. They are fruity, perfectly balanced and rich, with good ageing poten-tial – already marking 1986 as a very good vintage. Harvest from 26 September to 8 October.

1987 Slow, difficult budburst. Full flowering came only in the last days of June, under conditions that were

still difficult, engendering “coulure” and “millerandage” (poor fruit set) in many parcels. The “véraison” (change in grape colour) began only around 10 August. Fortunately, the good weather in September and at the start of October allowed an acceleration in ripening and good harvesting conditions. The wines – low in quantity – are fine, with well-marked terroirs and good acidity that guarantees ageing. Harvest from 1 to 12 October.

1988 Rapid budburst in the second half of April, though May saw more disruptive conditions. Fortunately,

June enabled good leaf development and excellent flowering. A very fine summer allowed an early “véraison” (change in grape colour) and good ripening. The harvest began in good weather, but then became difficult under rainy conditions. The wines are elegant, very fine and surprising with their austerity on ageing.

YEARS

1980

1980 A frequently very cool spring, with late and diffi-cult flowering. Correct summer. Harvest around

mid-October in fairly difficult conditions (damp, deteriora-tion in health of grapes). Very average quality, though correct wines harvested late.

1981 Spring frost at end-April (damage in the village appellations and regional AOC), with an often

cool, rainy spring and summer; good weather starting at end-July. Small harvest (frost, “millerandage”) and average quality due to heavy equinoctial rains.

1982 Spared by frost, enjoying excellent f lowering conditions, and affected by hail, Burgundy saw

an exceptional fruit set in 1982. The summer's favourable weather conditions were crowned by September's remarkable sunshine. These circumstances led to an early harvest of ripe grapes concentrated in sugar. With abundant volume, Nature offset 1981's low yield. The white wines were particularly rich and elegant, with a lovely bouquet and considerable class. Harvest from 20 to 30 September.

1983 After an exceptionally fine, dry summer, followed by some rain at the start of September, the harvest

was carried out under very good, warm weather conditions. The grapes finished ripening perfectly, with a strong concen-tration of juice. The whites were very powerful, typical of great Burgundies. Harvest from 29 September to 8 October.

12 13

1990 As in 1989, 1990 was characterised by early growth due to exceptional climatic conditions, comparable

to 1941, 1948 and 1961.

Winter was very mild and spring was rainy. Vegetation devel-oped quickly, and the first blossoms appeared on 21 May in the Clavoillon vineyard. The humid and changeable weather during the flowering period brought problems such as “cou-lure” and “millerandange” (poor fruit set), reducing a harvest that had appeared to be abundant.

Thanks to warm, dry conditions in July and August, the vines benefited from some hundred hours of sunshine more than the average of the previous fourty years. The harvest at Domaine Leflaive started on 19 September. An excellent harvest of healthy grapes with natural degrees of between 12.5° and 14° was brought in.

The acidity, which was even higher than in 1985, gave the wines exceptional balance, and incomparable richness and fruitiness. A classic wine for long bottle ageing, already show-ing aromas of honey. One of the great vintages of Domaine Leflaive since 1978.

1991 Weather conditions were very much in contrast throughout the whole of the Burgundian vineyard.

After three years of mild winters, the winter snow in 1990-91 was very beneficial.

The mild, rainy spring allowed early budburst, thanks to an abrupt rise in temperatures in March. A light frost on 24 April, which at the Domaine affected part of the Bourgognes and the village appellation parcels, then blocked the vegetation.

Flowering stretched from mid-June to the start of July.

YEARS

19901989 A warm and very sunny year. There was a bit

of “coulure” (poor fruit set) with the Chardon-nay flowering, limiting production to a level that allowed excellent ripening. An early harvest, from 15 to 23 September, produced rich, well-balanced musts from very healthy grapes.

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14 15

1994 From April to August, all the right conditions combined to ensure the vines' harmonious devel-

opment; for Chardonnay, the first flowers appeared on 1 June. However, at the beginning of July, hail in Puligny-Montrachet damaged part of the harvest.

The month continued with a very hot, sunny spell, favour-able to an excellent change in the colour of the grapes. This advance in ripening enabled the accumulation of sugars in the grape berries, leading to a very ripe harvest in mid-September. During this month the weather was unpredictable and damp, with the development of several patches of noble rot.

The harvest began on Monday 19 September at Domaine Leflaive. The very ripe grands crus were harvested from the start, in order to preserve the wines' balance, freshness and ageing potential.

The Villages and Bourgognes, harvested at the end, benefited from sunshine and excellent concentration. The wines are charming and tender, with racy aromas of white fruit and honey. This is a vintage to enjoy in its youth, but with suffi-cient balance to wait for it to age.

These wines should be opened before the 1990s, 1992s and 1993s.

1995 Following a very mild winter and a rainy spring, flowering for Chardonnay was early at the begin-

ning of June. Cool temperatures at that time caused partial flowering and low yields (20-25 hl/ha).

The fine weather and heat of the summer made up for the spring delay, enabling good ripening in August & September. Given the small volumes involved, the harvest went very quickly, starting on 25 September and continuing in sunshine for five days.

The cool nights preserved the healthy state of the grapes. The wines are structured, solid and well constituted, with excep-tional aromatic intensity. They will need waiting for, because the 1995 vintage is definitely among those Burgundian vin-tages with great wines for ageing.

1996 Burgundy enjoyed exceptional weather conditions in 1996.

It was a dry year which, at the beginning of June, caused a burst in the vegetation. From 7 to 12 June, particularly short flowering enabled very homogeneous ripening of the grape berries. The change of colour in the grapes started on 30 July, with ripening evolving slowly due to cool temperatures.

At the beginning of September, the north wind extended this period of cool weather, explaining the perfect, healthy state of the harvest.

Following a dry, sunny summer, storms broke out in August, bringing beneficial rainfall so that ripening developed favourably.

Harvesting at the Domaine started only on 30 September, lasting until 7 October (Chevalier on the 4th under sunny conditions; the previous week had been very rainy throughout the Côte de Beaune, 100 mm). Thanks to this week of sunny harvesting and a large team (90 people), the harvest lasted only eight days. Excellent concentration (natural degrees of 12.5-13) and a small, concentrated harvest characterised the 1991 vintage.

1992 Weather conditions from November to March were characterised by a period of intense drought.

High temperatures during the vegetative period and low rain-fall enabled rapid vegetation growth.

Very early flowering occurred during the last days of May. Up till the harvest, the vines enjoyed weather favourable to their development. A bit of fine rainfall at the end of August was very beneficial, offsetting the first signs of drought.

The harvest began at the Domaine on 17 September: ripe grapes were harvested in sunshine, with average natural degrees of 14° in all parcels.

The earliness of the harvest was similar to that of the 1989 and 1990 vintages.

1993 The vines' vegetative dormancy period from October to March was characterised by fairly mild

temperatures, with rainfall higher than the seasonal norms. From April to July, the weather remained mild.

The summer was hot from July to mid-August. Starting in September the weather cooled down, with unpredictable sunshine. The vegetative cycle, particularly for Chardonnay, was longer than usual with later ripening. Very early flowering started on 1st June. The year was marked by heavy attacks of mildew between 15 June and 15 July.

At the start of September beneficial rainfall unblocked ripening.

The harvest at Domaine Leflaive took place from 20 to 28 September: earlier than in 1991, but later than in 1989 and 1990. The cool nights prevented the development of botrytis. The wines came into balance following the highly active malolactic fermentation between June and September 1994.

These wines are very typical of Puligny-Montrachet's terroir: finesse, freshness, purity, firmness and mineral tones.

The 1993s fall within the tradition of wines for ageing.

16 17

The harvest began on 29 September; the vinification of the wines was marked by long fermentation and an acidity level superior to that of the preceding vintages.

The 1996s are wines that are both powerful and elegant, com-plex and harmonious.

As with 1995, the 1996 vintage will improve further over time.

1997 1997 : September with a smile!

After an exceptionally mild, dry period in March and April, vegetal growth was hit by the spring frosts. The 1997 vintage was characterised by curious swings between weather that was drier and hotter than usual and periods of extreme cold and damp. Summer finally appeared at the end of July and finished in grand style in September, with lovely warm weather and blue skies.

The harvest took place between 15 and 21 September under summery sunshine.

Not surprisingly, the natural alcohol degree levels were superb. The balance in the wines from the 1997 vintage clearly illustrates the importance of a viticultural approach that respects Nature.

1998 The 1998 vintage was heavily affected by the frost which damaged the hillside vineyards on 14 April:

Chevalier-Montrachet, Folatières and Blagny.

The weakened parcels then suffered from several bouts of oidium and on 30 April hail damaged the northern part of the vineyard.

Between 9 and 12 August, unusual heat scorched the grapes.

Despite this catalogue of difficult and unhealthy problems, the sunny days which preceded the harvest encouraged a rapid concentration in the berries; the ripeness achieved for the harvest ranged from 12 to 14.2 degrees.

The harvest took place between 21 and 27 September under sunny skies.

This is the eighth year the vines have been cultivated organ-ically, and it is thanks to this that the acidity levels achieved this year produced balanced musts.

We have been greatly encouraged by signs that the vines treated biodynamically show greater resistance to disease; as a result, with the 1998 harvest we have opted for this treatment throughout the vineyards.

1999 The winter of 1998-99 was on the whole a mild one, albeit with some unsettled periods. Spring

was more extreme, with temperatures often above average.

Budburst was early, but was halted by a cold spell in mid-April (though there was no frost).

The end of April and the beginning of May were warm and the vines started growing quickly. May was dominated by stormy weather (a blend of heat and humidity), which encour-aged mildew. Fortunately, we were able to treat the vines regularly so that the disease did not have any lasting effect on the harvest. Very early, rapid and homogenous flowering indicated that harvesting would begin in mid-September.

Over the summer, temperatures were generally high and the grapes ripened smoothly.

Harvesting took place between 18 and 26 September. It was a healthy harvest, finishing without any problems. The wines are well balanced and refined, with good structure, purity and mineral character. They should be ready to taste after four or five years, but will improve further with age while retaining their youthful character for quite a few years. They can be compared to the 1979 vintage.

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18

2000 January saw several days of heavy frost towards the end of the month, within the context of a

winter that was mild on the whole. With the start of spring and normal temperatures for the season, budburst occurred at the usual time.

The month of May was definitely a summery one, with tem-peratures 6°C higher than normal seasonal values. Vegetation proliferated, making the vines sensitive to mildew. Fortu-nately, the biodynamic programme established some years ago, vigilance, and regular vineyard treatments made it pos-sible to curb this problem satisfactorily.

June was also hot, although much closer to normal. With scant rainfall, flowering took place early under very good conditions. July was not nearly as favourable: stormy with very little sunshine and 20 days of rainfall. Fortunately, by this time the vines were much less sensitive to inclement weather. Summer returned with August, including a heat wave during the second week. Ripening was off to a good start.

September began on a cool note, warming up subsequently although with a few storms. On the whole, however, it was fine weather until the 25th, making it possible to harvest under good conditions from the 16th to the 23rd.

The wines, made from well-ripened grapes, are elegant, with lovely fruity aromas. As maturing progresses, the solid palate is emerging increasingly, giving excellent overall balance.

YEARS

2000

17

1947 — 1979 VINTAGES

1947 1949 1950 1953 1955 1959

p.6 p.6 p.6 p.6 p.6 p.6

1961 1962 1964 1966 1969 1970

p.6 p.6 p.6 p.6 p.7 p.7

1971 1973 1978 1979

p.7 p.7 p.7 p.7

YEARS 1980

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985

p.8 p.8 p.8 p.8 p.9 p.9

1986 1987 1988 1989

p.9 p.9 p.9 p.10

YEARS 1990

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

p.11 p.11 p.12 p.12 p.13 p.13

1996 1997 1998 1999

p.13 p.14 p.14 p.15

YEARS 2000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 p.16 p.17 p.17 p.18 p.18 p.19

2006 2007 2008 2009

p.20 p.20 p.21 p.22

YEARS 2010

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

p.23 p.24 p.24 p.25 p.25

2015 2016 2017 2018

p.26 p.27 p.27 p.28

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HistoryOF THE DOMAINE

Domaine Leflaive has been a family estate since its inception. Coming from a family with a wine-making tradition dating back to 1717, it was Joseph Leflaive who built up the Domaine after 1910.

Today it covers 24 hectares in Puligny-Montrachet with 4.8 hectares of grand crus and 10.8 hectares of premiers crus. Since 2004, a further 20 hectares was added in the Mâconnais.

Domaine Leflaive was a pioneer of biodyna- mics in Burgundy. Based on the sensitive intelligence of natural phenomena and the harmony of terrestrial and lunar rhythms, biodynamics strictly excludes the use of any chemical and first seeks to foster the life of the soil.

In the cellar, the same philosophy of respect presides over all the winemaking process, in the pure Burgun- dian tradition. The harvest is manual. Fermentations are long, using indigenous yeasts. The vinifications are made in oak barrels in the first year and in stain-less steel vats during a second winter. Human inter-vention is minimal.

1716

2001 Apart from minor frosts at the end of December and a 10-day cold spell at end-February, the

autumn and winter were very mild (a high of 16° C on 7 January).

March was very rainy, with little sunshine. Spring plough-ing was delayed until April. The year was marked by strong though temporary variations in temperature, rainfall and sunshine. Within this difficult context, the vines managed all the same to peacefully prepare the harvest.

Vegetation growth started very early (end-March), followed by three weeks of stagnation, and then normal evolution in May (no frost) and June (good flowering). July saw some high tem-peratures, causing a bit of burn on grapes exposed to the sun.

A storm on 2 August brought some hail. Damage was limited but required particular precautions at harvest time: careful sorting of the grapes.

The ripening process, initially rapid in August, slowed down at the start of September. It was necessary to wait several extra days and the return of more favourable weather, with harvest-ing from 22 to 29 September.

The musts obtained have very good degrees of alcohol and solid acidity, but with a predominance of malic acid.

This is a serious vintage of good constitution, with the reserve that will ensure good ageing.

2002 The cold weather came prematurely in autumn and winter, and the sap subsided early on, so

that pruning began under good conditions.

Vegetation growth started very early in March. The entire year was dry (less than 500 mm of precipitation over twelve months), and ploughing was carried out with no problems.

Cryptogamic diseases were practically absent from the vine-yard, which was welcome following three years of pressure from mildew, plus a year's pressure from oidium.

Flowering finished in good time in scorching temperatures at end-June, and the grapes developed very quickly.

The period from 20 August to 10 September brought humi- dity. However, in our region water accumulation remained low and without consequences; just a bit of anxiety for the vignerons! The north wind came at just the right time in a clear, bright sky, bringing ripening to perfection in a healthy state and giving ideal balance in the musts.

The harvest took place from 19 to 26 September.

The 2002 harvest is one of the Domaine's landmark years: excellent structure, elegance, freshness, raciness and balance – qualities that indicate that the 2002 vintage will age well.

18 19

2003 What was most noteworthy in the 2003 vintage was undeniably the exceptionally early harvest.

We have to go back to 1893 to find one as early as that!

For us, the choice of date was determined by one essential element: the end of the scorching hot temperatures that were highly unfavourable to good harvesting and vinification conditions (right after the rain on 28 August). Tasting the grapes before and during the harvest confirmed our choice.

We therefore harvested from Saturday 30 August to Thurs-day 5 September under very good weather conditions. The harvest was a quick one since quantity was low (an average of roughly 25 hl/ha). Several factors contributed to this result:- frost on 11 April in the Bourgogne and Puligny-Montrachet AOCs

- hailstorms on 12 June and 20 July- finally, and above all, sunburn on the grapes with southern

exposure during several weeks' heatwave in July and August.

The sorting table made it possible to eliminate the grapes that were most heavily hit by the weather conditions, and all par-cels were sorted - from Bourgogne Blanc to Montrachet.

Quality is truly astonishing, with low acidity and high, very consistent sugar content. The small yields contribute signifi-cantly to fruit concentration.

The wines will be rich, generous, and will without doubt be ready to drink early on.

2004 Autumn 2003 was mild, while January was very damp. February had mixed temperatures, but

was sunny and dry (a record since 1945). Spring started on March 14 with very warm, dry weather (22-24° around the 17th), giving rise to fears of a second consecutive scorching hot summer. Return to normal at end-March.

The vines resumed their usual growth at the beginning of April. A cool, damp spell followed. In mid-April, growth in vegetation was two weeks behind that of 2003 (a very early year) and a few days behind that of normal years.

Vegetal development was slow at end-April and the beginning of May, with cool temperatures – especially at night – but with no frost. Warm weather returned around mid-May, set-ting off an explosion in vegetal growth. At end-May growth was still behind that of 2003, but was advanced compared with 2001-2002.

The first flowers were observed on June 8. In Puligny flower-ing peaked on June 15, ending around June 20-22. The grape bunches grew quickly after a very good fruit set. July was very cool, especially at night.

The start of the véraison (grape colour change) was observed at end-July (a normal date).

The month of August was very rainy for 20 days. Fortunately, September was beautifully dry and sunny, perfectly fulfilling its mandate as the month dedicated to quality in Burgundy's wines.

Ripening continued in regular fashion. Chardonnay ripened more slowly than Pinot Noir, requiring a few extra days before being harvested.

Harvesting took place in Puligny from September 25 to Octo-ber 3. It was a very ripe, abundant harvest with an excellent sugar/acidity balance.

2005 Following a rainy April, May began with hot weather, causing record vine growth.

Summer was marked by alternating hot spells and cool, cloudy periods, though the weather remained dry.

Flowering started early but was interrupted by cool spells, causing coulure and millerandage (poor and uneven/incom-plete fruit set) with the Chardonnay grapes.

A hailstorm on 17 July affected the Chassagne vineyard and the south of Puligny.

Fortunately, the good weather that followed remedied the damage, so that the grapes remained healthy. This storm spared most of the Domaine's parcels.

The harvest took place from 15 to 24 September under excel-lent weather conditions.

The first vines harvested were those hit by hail on 20 July (Bourgogne and Village appellations). From 17 September on there was a north wind, dry weather, stable conditions and lots of sunshine.

The grapes benefited from this unexpected good fortune, bumping up sugar levels (13°6 on average). The sugar/acidity balances were perfect.

The Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard- Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet grands crus were harvested on the afternoon of Tuesday 20 September and on the Wed- nesday, fruit days (passage of the moon across the constellation of Aries), meaning a very beneficial moment for fruit work.

Good quantity. Excellent grape maturity quality. Very good sugar/acidity ratios (no chaptalisation).

Harvest balanced and healthy, the first signs of a great vintage in white wines.

20 21

2006 In 2005-2006, winter began early, was cold, and lasted a long time!

The first frosts occurred in mid-November and, with the exception of several days at the start of December and in mid-February, continued on a regular basis until 19 March.

Temperatures plunged to -15° C on 30 December. The period was marked by frequent snow showers, though they didn't cover the ground for long or accumulate substantially. The winter thus registered a hydric deficit.

March was damp, with an accumulation of 136 mm, while April had varied weather.

May was cool, though disrupted by storms, causing consid-erable risks of mildew. It wasn't until 8 June that the vines enjoyed the warmth and sunshine favourable to flowering. Lovely summer weather then set in until 31 July. Thanks to this, flowering was over in record time and the fruit set was precocious. The grapes fattened quickly, and the grape bunches were fully formed by 10-12 July.

On the other hand, August was damp and cold. September, however, was marvellously sunny and bright, fully justifying its reputation as a month of quality. The weather remained dry, with beautiful days at the high temperatures favourable for excellent grape ripening. The patches of botrytis that had started to dev elop in August stabilised.

The harvest ran from 20 to 27 September.

The Chardonnays, which were very ripe and which could have toppled over quickly into over-ripeness, had to be fol-lowed closely and harvested in the correct order. The balance of the musts was very good, and fermentation went smoothly.

Initial tastings showed off the wines' highlights, with lots of aromas of fine ripe fruit.

Maturing has been problem-free, with the first racking off at 11-12 months, and bottling planned for late winter/early spring, as usual.

The wines have delivered what they promised: they are fine, elegant and nicely ripe, characteristic of their respective ter-roirs and typically Burgundian.

2007 Following a fairly moderate winter, with no pro-longed periods of frost beneficial to soil struc-

ture and health, budburst was early, around 20th March.

Vine growth was rapid – very rapid in April – since the weather was fine and very warm for the season. The month was dry until the 26th, when hail fell on Saint-Aubin, also touching Chevalier-Montrachet, Le Montrachet, Bâtard and Les Pucelles.

In May, temperatures dropped slightly at the start of the month, followed by a rainy spell from the 10th to the 16th, and a short dry period from the 17th to the 24th (during full flowering).

June saw alternating spells of hot and cold weather.

At the start of July temperatures dropped, with damp weather between the 8th and the 10th. The heat wave forecast for 2007, starting in March-April, never materialised. Weather in August was similar to that of July.

The vine's 100-day cycle ended on 27-28th August, with the harvest date set for 1st September. Ripeness had been reached.

In Puligny, the harvest started on 1st September and ended on the 7th.

The vine reached the end of its vegetative cycle, and sugar syn-thesis slowed down. Harvesting in good weather meant the vines produced ripe grapes. Alcoholic fermentation is under way. The most rapid will be finished on 19th September.

2008 Following three years of conversion work, this was the first biodynamic vintage.

After a fairly mild winter, vegetation appeared in the first days of April, growing rapidly under an unseasonably strong sun and temperatures ranging from 23°C to 30°C.

Flowering was precocious: by end-May it was completely finished.

The months of June and July were punctuated regularly by showers between spells of variable weather. A bit of hail affected the vineyard on 10 June.

August started with cool temperatures for the season, finish-ing with fine, hot weather which continued in September. These were ideal conditions for ripening the grapes.

As a result, the harvest started on 9 September and finished on the 14th, all in brilliant sunshine. Yields were slightly over 50hl/ha.

Vinification in the tanks was slow, finishing only at the start of 2008 for the slowest. In the spring, malolactic fermentation was homogeneous.

The wine is well balanced, while more and more depth and mineral tones are emerging.

The aromas are fine and well defined, with lots of elegance, citrus and floral notes.

22 23

2009 Mild, regular spring weather followed several heavy winter frosts, bringing on budburst at the

beginning of April.

The month of May was fine and sunny, though not particu-larly warm. As a result the vegetation grew steadily and the vegetative cycle continued its advance. The first flowers were noted on 22 May and the last on 6 June, with full flowering on 27/28 May.

June and July were marked by heavy rains over short spells.August was magnificent, with timely rainfall interrupting long sunny spells and with very hot weather between 13 and 20 August – the finest month of August since 2005.

These conditions were very favourable for ripening the grapes and we started the harvest on Saturday 5 September, finishing on the 11th at the end of the morning – with warm, sunny weather throughout the week.

The grapes for the Cuvée des Climats du Coeur were har-vested on 10 September.

The musts – rich, powerful and full of sunshine – were run into barrels quickly and were soon bubbling in the cellar.

Once fermentation started, it continued and ended by autumn.

Malolactic fermentation had just begun when winter arrived; before winter was over it was completely finished, earlier than in 2008.

Maturing was classic, and following 12 months in cask the first racking off took place; bottling should be carried out at the end of winter and start of spring 2011.

The wines are rich, with lots of fruit and mineral character.

2010 The 2009-2010 winter was classic overall, but was marked by a brutal phenomenon on 19

December: a staggering drop in temperature (-20°C), rising to +10°C on 21 December.

January-February had seasonal weather, with the last frosts from 9-14 March.

April, mild and dry, saw the start of the vegetative period, with the chillier month of May marking a slowdown in the vine's growth.

The first vine flowers were observed on 6 June, with full flow-ering around 12-14 June and the end around the 22nd. High temperatures continued until mid-July - the start of a cool damp spell lasting until the end of August.

The weather warmed up again at the beginning of September, while a hailstorm hit the Santenay vineyard on the 12th. In Puligny, the ripest grapes developed a bit of botrytis at that time. The harvest, initially set for 20 September, was brought forward to the 17th. It lasted a week, enjoying a spell of fine dry weather up to the very last day.

The musts are showing good balance, with alcoholic fermen-tation occurring normally. Malolactic fermentation is taking place more slowly, revealing well-defined wines with lovely purity.

2011 The winter of 2010-2011 was marked by snow at end-November and during December, followed

by dry and not particularly cold weather in January and Feb-ruary. In March, after some rainfall at the start of the month, temperatures rose and budburst was noted at end-month.

YEARS

2010

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24 25

The April sun sent temperatures up, while the vines devel-oped quickly in a dry atmosphere.

A lovely month of May enabled flowering under the most favourable auspices, although somewhat prematurely (13-16 May). June was magnificent, preserving the vintage's sunny, precocious nature.

July was marked by storms as well as temperatures that were chilly for the season. Then from the beginning of August the sun was back along with several very hot days, resulting in rapid ripening.

The harvest ran from 25 to 31 August, the earliest ever seen at Domaine Leflaive.

Once the wines hummed their way through alcoholic fer- mentation, malolactic fermentation kept them fizzing throughout the winter. The wines have an acid, mineral structure and framework showing finesse and elegance. They are the very definition of the qualities inherent in each of our magnificent parcels.

2012 After a mild start to winter, there was a change of tune in mid-January, which brought winter at

its most majestic. The first two weeks of February were icily cold, between -15°C and -4°C.

Winter changed to Spring with a dry and mild March allow-ing the first buds to appear. We were lulled into predicting an early vintage once again, the recent experiences of 2011 and 2007 still strong in our memories. However, we didn't count on the cold April rains which really halted the vine's growth. In May, things got going again, finding a more normal pat-tern, although still a little ahead of the average. Flowering was first noted in the final days of May, with mid-flower on 5th June but extended through until 20th June. This fragile flowering, carried out in poor weather conditions, gave us berries affected by coulure and millerandage.

At the end of June, the sudden rise in temperatures brought storms and hail (30th June). July followed a similar pattern with notable humidity. The vineyards were then hit once more by hail on 1st August. Thereafter, the sun shone and permitted the grapes to reach a good phenolic maturity with a lower sugar level than the last few years. We began to harvest on 14th September: the musts were nicely balanced with a very good level of acidity.

We have observed the wines closely through their élevage, noting their conservation of good acidity levels and their presentation of extraordinary minerality. Despite the overall production at the Domaine being reduced by half, the wines show a great number of qualities: minerality, balance, finesse, precision, tension, energy…

A very great vintage.

2013 The winter of 2012/13 was long and wet rather than harsh but there were frosts up until the

beginning of April.

The vine began budding timidly in mid-April, two weeks behind the norm. The end of the month and the beginning of May saw a significant amount of rainfall. The soils were saturated and occasionally under water- we saw ducks swim-ming in the vineyards!

May remained fresh and wet, with the vines now three weeks behind the norm. June seemed more clement in terms of rain-fall but everything is relative. The first flowers appeared on 17th June but the good weather only lasted until the night of 19th June when there was a strong storm with a lot of rain. The following days, with mid-flower noted around 21st-24th June, were also far from ideal for flowering, leading to cou-lure and millerandage.

July saw further storms, notably on 23rd with hail stretching from Meursault to Ladoix with Puligny being lightly touched too. August however brought excellent conditions for the vine and maturity progressed well. September, where rainfall was still a feature, stayed warm and damp until the end and we began to harvest on 28th for a period of eight days.

The alcoholic fermentations were long. In the spring, aided by the rise in temperatures, the malolactic fermentations got going and were finished by the time the summer of 2014 was through. During their time in barrel, the wines have gained precision. At the beginning of their second winter, they show a lovely purity, loyal to the terroirs whence they spring. They have an energetic line based on minerality and acidity which gives them a lovely tension as well as length on the palate.

2014 The 2013-2014 was overall lukewarm with high rainfall until the first days of March. Spring

was throughout a dry and sunny period. In this favourable weather, the bud burst started around March 25 and we started to wonder if 2014 would be another early year.

April started equally dry but temperatures dropped mid month and until early may causing the vineyard to slowdown it's growth.

Taking advantage of a summer-like May, the growth resumed it's vigor with the dry weather containing any excess. The first flowers are observed on May 22 and the full flower arriv-ing on June 2nd and 3rd in a very warm environment.

June remained hot and dry and the vineyard develops at a fast pace. We are preparing actively for an early vintage.

On June 28, all these favourable conditions came brutally to an end with a hail storm affecting mainly the top of the hill in the northern part of Puligny and more severely the winewards of Meursault, Monthélie, Volnay, Pommard, Beaune.

26 27

July and early August are unusually humid and fresh for the season. The vine development slws down. Summer-like con-ditions resumed in the second part of August and became very favorable to a good maturation.

The harvest starts on September 10. The alcoholic fermenta-tion proceed in a very conventional manner until November immediately followed by the malolactic fermentations. The last batch finished their fermentation in July.

The 2014 wines are vibrant and show a nice minerality signing the best terroirs of Puligny.

2015 The grapes maturation was exceptionally swift this year. This will lead us to start the harvest

on August 28. This is the third time in history that we will begin the harvest in Puligny in August and the second earliest harvest ever (2011 began August 25 and 2003, on August 30).

After a flower that went very well, under a bright sun, at the beginning of June, the vines grew rapidly, helped by a few days of rain fall in the middle of the month. July brought a strong and lasting heat wave in Puligny for most of the month. Temperatures rose steadily with many days above 30°C during the day and often up to 35°C and 36°C.

The rainfall of early August re-started the maturation pro-cess in Puligny. The Mâcon estate, on the other hand, did not benefit from the rainfall and berries were a little less fleshy than Puligny.

The fact remains that, just before the harvest, the vines were beautiful in both vineyards and in an excellent state of health.

The Domaine team fully anticipated this early harvest and organised a seamless logistical support for the team of over 70 pickers plus a dozen people in the winery.

The harvest began in Puligny in a scorching atmosphere the first three days. It continued in a cooler environment after a slight stormy episode punctuated with a few raindrops ini-tially announced as more violent and abundant than it even-tually arose.

The yield in Puligny this year is very satisfactory and above that of the previous three years. The heat wave during the summer and low rainfall in the spring limited the yield of the Premier and Grand Crus while the vineyards at the foot of the hill (Bourgogne and Village) have maintained a good perfor-mance. In Mâcon, the yield is slightly more modest than that of last year as the estate did not benefit from the June rainfall as Puligny did.

The grape's health was simply spotless this year with no trace of botrytis, oïdium or mildew. Maturities across both are accomplished with an excellent degree and a good acidity given the accelerated maturation of the end of August.

2016 The winter of 2015-2016 was very mild and dryoverall. There was never a full day of frost

during the season.

By early April the growing period was already in progress, and by mid-April the vine was at the stage where 2 to 3 leaves were present with some beautiful buds.

However, severe rainfall on the night of the 26th of April ensued, along with a drop in temperature below zero in the early hours of the 27th, and a sunny morning. The combina-tion of vine precocity, the humidity and the sun caused “burn-ing” of the buds across the hillside and even more severely on the premiers and the grands crus. The consequence was severe: a loss between 20% and 80% of the harvest.

In Montrachet, it was 90% of the buds that were burnt.

The very rainy months of May and June that followed favoured the development of mildew on the weak vines. Luckily the sun arrived on the 21st of June at the beginning of flowering which then occurred very quickly. The sun, the heat and the beautiful weather would then remain until harvest, allowing us to obtain beautiful grapes from those parcels that were not as affected. Very beautiful quality but so little!

The harvest begun on the 21st of September.

2017 The expectations on the 2017 harvest was high in Burgundy following the 2016 frost that destroyed

a large part of last year's harvest.

Winter 2016-2017 cold, in line with Burgundy's continental climate with alternating frosts and thaws allowing the earth to expand and to other micro-organism to be eliminated.

March saw dome very mild temperatures, favouring a fast growth of the vine. However, the temperatures dropped in April 2017 with freezing temperatures late April. This time, all had anticipated the weather conditions and all vine-grow-ers mobilized at sunrise to light straw fires which allowed the air to circulate and thereby avoid frost.

Flowering was early and fast at the end of May. A very hot and sunny summer settles in with regular showers allow-ing the vine to pursue its development. The last heat wave occurred at the end of August and caused an acceleration of the maturity.

Harvest started on 29th August in the more mature plots (Folatières, Combettes, Chevalier) and continued after a light rain on 31st August. The sugar in the must was not too high and acidities were excellent which will certainly mean very balanced wines after fermentations.

28 29

2018 The 2018 harvest has pleasantly surprised us, both in its abundant quantity as well as its excep-

tionally good quality.

The winter of 2017-18 was moderately cold with tempera-tures sometimes below freezing in the morning but quickly reaching positive numbers in the afternoon. These cool tem-peratures were accompanied by a high humidity, regularly covering the vines with a beautiful white coating of snow.

March was also a little cool, nature was struggling to awaken. The weather warmed up quickly in the first days of April. Within three weeks the all the vineyards in Puligny were adorned with a light green veil. Like pupae, the buds in their cotton are transformed: green tip, leaves coming out and first leaves spreading. The development was so fast that we were waiting a chill capable of slowing down the vine a little.

The good news is that the rains were plentiful in May and especially in June. At the beginning of June, the water tables were at their highest and the heat of the day did not allow the moisture to settle. This enabled the grape to grow in excep-tionally favourable conditions.

It was already very hot by the end of June and the tempera-tures between June 26th and the end of August were very often well above seasonal norms with maximum tempera-tures exceeding 30°C almost daily. This was only interrupted by a good rain on August 13 coming to refresh the ground and gorge the berries.

The harvest began on August 26th with radiant and relatively cool weather. The harvested quantity surprised us consider-ing the scorching summer we had experienced.

We welcomed it with all the more pleasure as the berries tasted well, with a good sugar-acidity balance and health sta-tus, which could not be better.

We are looking forward to the end of the fermentations to taste these promising 2018s.

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1 9 4 61 9 4 71 9 4 81 9 4 91 9 5 01 9 5 11 9 5 21 9 5 31 9 5 41 9 5 51 9 5 61 9 5 71 9 5 81 9 5 91 9 6 01 9 6 11 9 6 21 9 6 31 9 6 41 9 6 51 9 6 61 9 6 71 9 6 81 9 6 91 9 7 01 9 7 11 9 7 21 9 7 31 9 7 41 9 7 51 9 7 61 9 7 71 9 7 91 9 8 01 9 8 11 9 8 2 1 9 8 31 9 8 41 9 8 51 9 8 61 9 8 7 1 9 8 81 9 8 91 9 9 01 9 9 11 9 9 21 9 9 31 9 9 41 9 9 51 9 9 61 9 9 71 9 9 81 9 9 920002 0 0 12 0 0 22 0 0 320 042 0 0 520 0 62 0 0720 0 820 0 92 0 1 02 0 1 12 0 1 22 0 1 32 0 1 42 0 1 52 0 1 62 0 1 72 0 1 8

Beginning datesof the harvest

1946 — 2018

23/09

29/0930/0915/0928/1012/0923/097/1003/1014/1001/1003/10

04/10

01/10

24/09

05/10

17/09

21/09

06/10

23/09

10/10

22/09

11/10

01/10

27/09

28/09

25/09

26/09

20/09

07/09

18/09

08/10

28/09

05/10

03/10

13/09

04/1030/09

29/09

29/0901/1026/0915/0919/0930/0917/0920/0917/0918/0921/0915/0923/0925/0916/0922/0920/0930/0825/0916/0920/0901/0922/0905/0918/0925/0814/0928/09

21/09

10/09

29/08

28/08

26/08

© photographs : Marc Plantec, Marie-Claire Leflaive,

Emmanuel Reboud, Vincent Rougeau.

The vintage comments were mostly written by the successive heads of the Domaine, usually

at the time of the vintage release. They therefore require to be put back in the context

of the times in which they were written.

We would like to thank Jean-Claude Wallerand and Allen Meadows for their contributionto some of the 1970’s vintage descriptions

that were missing.

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suit

e p.

2

Place du Pasquier de la Fontaine21190 Puligny-Montrachet

tél. +33 (0)3 80 21 30 13 • domaine@leflaive.fr