Leflaive, Domaine: Puligny Montrachet, Les Combettes, 1er Cru

From a single parcel in Puligny-Montrachet, planted in 1963 and 1972, on a total of 1.8 acres of calcareous clay.

The Leflaive family history as growers dates back to 1717 when Claude Leflaive established a vineyard in Puligny. Two centuries later one of his descendants, Joseph Leflaive, built up the Domaine`s holdings from 2 hectares (4.94 acres) to 20 hectares (49.4 acres) through the acquisition of parcels of exceptional vineyards. Joseph`s children chose to maintain the Domaine as a single unit, rather than divide it up upon inheritance. One of them, Vincent, led a drive to acquire further holdings in key vineyards, including Grand Crus.

Since 1993, Vincent`s daughter Anne-Claude has had sole responsibility for the Domaine, and it has been under her stewardship that the winery has switched to biodynamic farming principals. Another technique that Anne-Claude insists upon is the hand-harvesting, and hand-sorting, of all the grapes. The wines are then fermented using natural yeasts, and only when necessary will fining and light filtering take place. The resulting wines are a pure expression of Chardonnay, with the the nuances and individual terroir of each vineyard perfectly represented.