Domaine Leflaive is one of the world’s great wine domains, producing some of Burgundy’s most sought-after white wines. The Leflaive family Domaine has a history dating back to 1717 and has 23 hectares of holdings spread throughout Grand Cru, 1er Cru, Village, and AOC level vineyards around Puligny.
The Domaine gained its prominence in the hands of Anne-Claude Leflaive, who converted the vineyards to biodynamics in the 1990s giving the wines greater transparency in their expression of terroir. Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet is a small grand cru climat on the southwestern slopes of the Montrachet hill in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune subregion. It is planted entirely to Chardonnay, making rich, plump white wines that, while not quite as prestigious as the wines from the nearby Montrachet vineyard, are still some of the most sought-after and highly-priced wines in the world. Leflaive has a single plot totalling 2.84 acres, with vines planted in 1958 & 1959.
As is often the case, the aromatic profiles of the Pucelles and the BBM are quite similar with the slight exception that the latter is even more floral in character. On the palate though there is more volume, richness and concentration with the medium-bodied flavors displaying impressive power as well as an abundance of sappy dry extract that buffers the notably firm acid spine supporting the hugely long, balanced and very classy finale. This too is terrific and a wine that should age gracefully for 20+ years.
The 2022 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a captivating sea cave and oyster shell-scented nose that is so different from the Puligny Premier Crus. The palate is slightly reductive but in a positive way, imparting a light bitterness and tension. There's tremendous weight on the finish, but it retains linearity and focus. This is another of Leflaive's 2022s that will demand time in bottle, but it is preloaded with potential.