Montrachet
A minuscule fraction of the most celebrated white wine vineyard on earth. Extraordinarily rare even by Leflaive's standards, with a depth, power and complexity widely regarded as without peer among dry white wines.
Burgundy · Puligny-Montrachet
Domaine Leflaive
The benchmark estate of white Burgundy
Private producer profile
Burgundy
Puligny-Montrachet
Profile
The Leflaive family's presence in Puligny-Montrachet stretches back to 1717, when Claude Leflaive first took up residence in the village, but the Domaine in its modern form is the creation of his descendant Joseph Leflaive (1870–1953). An engineer by training — a graduate of the École Polytechnique who helped design France's first submarine — Joseph's marriage to Camille Biétrix du Villars drew him toward industry, running a metallurgical factory while also tending the family's modest, phylloxera-ravaged vineyard holdings in Puligny.
In 1905, with land still selling cheaply in the wake of the phylloxera crisis, he purchased some 25 hectares to form the core of the future Domaine; from 1920 he undertook a systematic programme of replanting with better-suited rootstock and began, for the first time, selling wine under his own label rather than to négociants. By the time of his death in 1953, Domaine Leflaive was already exporting bottles to the United States. His sons Vincent and Jo Leflaive took over jointly and spent the following decades building the Domaine's international reputation as one of Burgundy's foremost white wine producers.
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In 1990 the third generation took the reins: Vincent's daughter Anne-Claude Leflaive became joint manager alongside her cousin Olivier, son of Jo; when Olivier departed in 1994 to focus on his own négociant business, Anne-Claude became sole manager, a role she held until her untimely death in 2015. It was Anne-Claude who transformed the Domaine's viticulture, converting the entire estate to biodynamic farming through the 1990s and becoming one of the movement's most influential pioneers anywhere in Burgundy — work recognised in 2006 when Decanter named her the world's best white winemaker.
Since 2015 the Domaine has been led by her nephew Brice de la Morandière, Joseph's great-grandson and the fourth generation at the helm, who joined after an international career in industry. Under Brice the estate has continued to expand and modernise — renovating the cellars, completing a new winemaking facility for the 2022 vintage, and growing the family's footprint in the Mâconnais, first established in 2004 — while preserving the same biodynamic, terroir-first philosophy that defines the Domaine.
At a glance
Leflaive family in Puligny since1717
Modern Domaine founded1905
Current directorBrice de la Morandière
Grand Cru holdings~4.8 ha
RegionBurgundy
AppellationPuligny-Montrachet
TypeDomaine
Key wines
Chevalier-Montrachet
Sited on the steep upper slope above Montrachet itself, on thinner, more mineral soils. Taut, precise and remarkably long-lived — often considered the most cerebral of the Domaine's Grands Crus.
Bâtard-Montrachet
Richer and more powerful than Chevalier-Montrachet, with a broader, more opulent mid-palate. A wine of real weight and concentration, balanced by the Domaine's characteristic precision.
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
A smaller adjunct of Bâtard-Montrachet, from old vines planted in the late 1950s. Delicate and floral, with a fine, lifted aromatic profile distinct from its more powerful neighbour.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Clavoillon
The Domaine's largest single holding and effectively a quasi-monopole, controlling over 85% of this Premier Cru. Generous yet mineral, sitting just north of Les Pucelles — one of the most reliable expressions of the house style.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles
Frequently cited as the finest Premier Cru in the Leflaive range, sitting immediately south of Bâtard-Montrachet. Rich, structured and capable of real ageing — many consider it Grand Cru in all but name.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières
A mid-slope site producing a wine of real finesse and mineral lift, typically more floral and aromatic than the richer Combettes or Pucelles.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes
A small but highly regarded mid-slope parcel offering fine minerality and floral aromatics — a more delicate counterpoint to the Domaine's richer cuvées.
Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d'Âne
The Domaine's only holding outside Puligny-Montrachet proper, on the Meursault-Blagny border. Silky and refined, with the slightly riper character typical of the appellation.
Puligny-Montrachet Village
A blend of seven village-level climats, offering a pure and faithful introduction to the Domaine's terroir-driven, biodynamic style at the most accessible price point.
Bourgogne Blanc
The Domaine's entry-level white, made with the same meticulous biodynamic care as the Grands Crus, and a genuine benchmark for regional Burgundy.
Mâcon-Verzé & Solutré-Pouilly
The Domaine's expansion south into the Mâconnais, farmed biodynamically since the very first vintage of acquisition. Fresher and more immediate than the Puligny wines, offering excellent value within the Leflaive style.
Style & winemaking
Anne-Claude Leflaive began experimenting with biodynamic methods in the early 1990s, driven initially by concern for the long-term sustainability of the land rather than any prior conviction about the practice. Full conversion of the entire estate followed by 1997, making Leflaive one of the earliest and most influential biodynamic converts in all of Burgundy. The Domaine's guiding principle is that each of its many small parcels — spanning four Grand Crus and five Premier Crus — must be allowed to express its own distinct character.
Biodynamic farming is treated not as an ideology but as a tool for deepening the connection between vine, soil and the finished wine. Fermentation relies entirely on indigenous yeasts, with long, natural and unhurried alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in oak barrels through the first year. Wines then move to stainless steel tanks for a second winter, allowing the wine to clarify naturally before a final light fining and bottling in spring.
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New oak is used judiciously across the range — typically around 25% new wood even for the Grand Crus — reflecting a conviction that the wine, not the barrel, should carry the conversation. A light bâtonnage (lees-stirring) is practised only briefly, between the end of alcoholic fermentation and the start of malolactic.
Since 2015, Brice de la Morandière has pursued the same biodynamic and terroir-first philosophy established by his aunt, while investing significantly in precision — renovated cellars, a new state-of-the-art cuverie completed in time for the 2022 vintage, and a move to technical Diam corks from 2014 to safeguard consistency.
Fermentation relies entirely on indigenous yeasts, with long, natural and unhurried alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in oak barrels through the first year. Wines then move to stainless steel tanks for a second winter, allowing the wine to clarify naturally before a final light fining and bottling in spring. New oak is used judiciously across the range — typically around 25% new wood even for the Grand Crus — reflecting a conviction that the wine, not the barrel, should carry the conversation.
A light bâtonnage (lees-stirring) is practised only briefly, between the end of alcoholic fermentation and the start of malolactic. Since 2015, Brice de la Morandière has pursued the same biodynamic and terroir-first philosophy established by his aunt, while investing significantly in precision — renovated cellars, a new state-of-the-art cuverie completed in time for the 2022 vintage, and a move to technical Diam corks from 2014 to safeguard consistency.
The Domaine's guiding principle is that each of its many small parcels — spanning four Grand Crus and five Premier Crus — must be allowed to express its own distinct character. Biodynamic farming is treated not as an ideology but as a tool for deepening the connection between vine, soil and the finished wine.
Since 2015, Brice de la Morandière has pursued the same biodynamic and terroir-first philosophy established by his aunt, while investing significantly in precision — renovated cellars, a new state-of-the-art cuverie completed in time for the 2022 vintage, and a move to technical Diam corks from 2014 to safeguard consistency. Leflaive wines are prized for a rare combination of richness and precision — concentrated fruit and texture held in check by mineral tension and bright acidity.
The Grands Crus in particular are built for the long term, with Chevalier-Montrachet and Montrachet capable of 10–15 years or more of graceful evolution in bottle.
Reputation
The benchmark estate of white Burgundy
"Before I had even heard of biodynamism, my instincts told me that whatever we do in our lives must be done with a respect for nature and the environment."
Milestones
Claude Leflaive establishes the family's presence in Puligny-Montrachet
Joseph Leflaive purchases around 25 hectares of phylloxera-ravaged vineyard, founding the modern Domaine
Joseph begins systematic replanting with improved rootstock and starts selling wine under his own label rather than to négociants
Joseph dies; sons Vincent and Jo Leflaive take joint control and build the Domaine's international reputation
Anne-Claude Leflaive and her cousin Olivier become joint managers of the third generation
Olivier departs to focus on his own négociant business; Anne-Claude becomes sole manager
The entire estate completes conversion to biodynamic farming, among the earliest in Burgundy to do so
The Domaine expands into the Mâconnais, acquiring vineyards in Mâcon-Verzé and Solutré-Pouilly
Decanter magazine names Anne-Claude the world's best white winemaker
Anne-Claude dies; her nephew Brice de la Morandière, the fourth generation, takes over as managing director
Brice appoints Pierre Vincent to oversee day-to-day operational management
First vintage made in the Domaine's newly completed state-of-the-art cuverie
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