Bourgogne Blanc 'Les Setilles' Olivier Leflaive 2022

Description

Olivier Leflaive is the son of Joseph, nephew of Vincent and cousin of Anne-Claude. He was co-manager of Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent from 1982-1990, and with Anne-Claude from 1990-1994, by which time the négociant business, which he had started in 1985 in order to have some wines to play with outside Puligny-Montrachet, had really blossomed. It was time, in the interests of both parts, to withdraw from the domaine and concentrate on Olivier Leflaive Frères.  He employed the talented Jean-Marc Boillot as winemaker and initially had no vineyards and bought in grapes from selected growers. Under the auspices of winemaker Frank Grux, since 1988, the wines are vinified exactly as they would be at any other first-class Burgundy domaine, with all the whites being barrel-fermented and being aged in small oak barriques. Olivier Leflaive is looking for elegance and finesse rather than power and ‘specularité’. There is little new-oak effect and his wines are usually attractive young. The wines are hallmarks of elegance and purity rather than muscle and are more than worthy of the famous Leflaive name.

The vineyards for this wine are located in Meursault and Puligny Montrachet, two of the region's very best villages for Chardonnay. The resulting wine is an absolute bargain, with all the elegance and complexity of a fine White Burgundy, but at a great price for this quality. Those in the know include Harry and Meghan who served this as their Royal Wedding wine. 

"Ripe lemony citrus. Open and fragrant. Nicely dry texture lifts this above simple Chardonnay. That friction complemented by the creamy mouthfeel before the dry finish."

Jancis Robinson MW