Domaine Leflaive needs little introduction to wine lovers. It has been described as Burgundy’s greatest white wine Domaine, and while this is a pretty strong claim, it is a justifiable one.
The Leflaive family has been in Burgundy since 1717 and began to take shape as a Domaine in the early 1900s under the leadership of Claude Leflaive. 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. Puligny has a distinguished bouquet of almond paste, ferns, tropical fruit, amber, and white flowers. Their discreet acidity leaves room for a very soft mouthfeel and an impressively long finish. Les Combettes is one of Puligny-Montrachet's most northerly Premier Cru climats. Located on the midslope of the Côte d'Or, it has a stony limestone terroir, which is excellent for growing the Chardonnay grapes to which it is planted. Les Combettes Premier Cru wines generally combine the racy minerality of Puligny with the rounder body of Meursault, which lies on the climat's northern border.
Leflaive have 1 parcel, "Les Combettes". Vines were planted in 1963 and 1972. Surface: 73a (1.8 acres).
Moderate reduction is sufficient to mask the underlying fruit today. More interesting are the wonderfully fine and delicate yet punchy flavours that possess a highly sophisticated mouthfeel before culminating in a sappy saline and strikingly persistent finish. I very much like the balance and this beauty may well prove to be a great Combettes in time.