The winter of 2023-2024 was not particularly cold, and the abundant rainfall was initially welcomed. However, spring turned out to be chilly, with minor hailstorms between mid-March and mid-April that caused no significant damage. We entered the season with a sense of apprehension.

Flowering occurred in a humid atmosphere that encouraged coulure (poor fruit set). The vine's growth was slowed by persistent cool weather. Frequent rainfall hindered vineyard work, and downy mildew quickly took hold.

The summer was mild without significant heat, and ripening was particularly slow, especially since September was also cool, rainy, and punctuated by regular thunderstorms.

Harvesting began in Puligny on September 16. The yield was modest, about half of the abundant 2023 harvest. However, we find solace in the excellent sanitary condition of the remaining grapes on the vines, suggesting that quality should still be present in this vintage.

With the sole aim of contributing to wine quality, the teams at Domaine Leflaive are constantly seeking ways to improve. They test, innovate, and implement changes only when the benefits are proven. The context of climate change introduces a critical factor, especially in the aging process during hot years: with increased ripeness of grapes and a loss of acidity, will wood always remain the most suitable vessel, despite its historical and cultural significance in Burgundian practices? 

The first adaptation made since 2017 has been adjusting the size of barrels to modify the oxygen-wood-wine exchange surface. The barrel inventory now prioritizes 265-liter barrels, which are elongated compared to the traditional 228-liter size, complemented by 350- and 400-liter barrels.

In parallel, six large-capacity foudres have been gradually introduced, with capacities of 22, 34, and 50 hectoliters. These are used for Mâconnais wines, which are more sensitive to the influence of wood and potential imbalance. Concrete tanks (both conical and egg-shaped) were already in place for their ability to provide micro-oxygenation without a significant impact on the wine.

Climate change also raises questions about the evolution of wood as a raw material itself—wood that coopers source primarily from French forests. As a result, the technical teams have initiated experiments with alternative containers to wood for wines from the Côte de Beaune. Over the past three years, stoneware and ceramic amphorae, ranging from 300 to 500 liters, have been tested.

Last year, 200-liter glass wineglobes developed by winemaker and oenologist Michael Paetzold were introduced. The trial uses juice from the premier cru vineyard Le Clavoillon in Puligny-Montrachet, which is highly representative of the appellation and Leflaive’s style. The goal is to preserve this signature rather than create a circumstantial wine; the means are not the end, and there will never be a 100% wineglobe cuvée.

The experiments are nonetheless carried through to bottling to gain insights over several years. As with wine itself, time is an ally in this continuous quest for progress.

At the helm of "Herbes de Vie" and the training school "Vieilles Racines et Jeunes Pousses", Thierry Thévenin practices the rare craft of wild plant harvesting. Describing himself as a farmer-herbalist, he often roams his lands between the Millevaches plateau and the volcanoes of Auvergne. This autumn, he visited the vineyards of Domaine Leflaive for the second time, applying his extensive botanical expertise.

What did you observe during your late October visit to the Domaine Leflaive vineyards?

I saw plants that emerge at the transition between autumn and winter, even though it’s not the richest time of year. With the humidity, there was an abundance of field or vineyard greens, along with various rosette flora—those stemless plants with leaves that form a circular pattern on the ground. I also noticed many juniper berries in the Sous le Dos d’Âne parcel in Meursault and on the Chevalier-Montrachet hillside, as well as some autumn fruits like rose hips from wild roses found abundantly in the hedges. I spotted several species of hawk’s beard, including the Nîmes hawk's beard—a surprising find in Burgundy? Not entirely, as Puligny-Montrachet forms a sub-Mediterranean microclimate, well-known among botanists, with conditions favorable to species typically found south of Montélimar.

According to the inventory by the National Botanical Conservatory, 332 species have been recorded in the Puligny-Montrachet commune…

Those are the species observed, but there are many more. To create an exhaustive inventory, one would need to revisit the same location several times per season for seven years! Some plants don’t always bloom, or they undergo natural cycles of dormancy. A baseline inventory usually captures about 70% of the actual biodiversity, so we can estimate there are more than 400 species in Puligny-Montrachet.

How does biodynamics impact the soil's plant biodiversity?

The biodiversity index is incomparable between conventional vineyards and those cultivated biodynamically, which support a much richer diversity of species. At Domaine Leflaive, there is a strong interplay between the vine and the surrounding flora. A soil is a living organism made of complex interactions: the greater the variety of species, the richer the soil. Consequently, the vines are more resilient. Additionally, the effect on water management is crucial: living soil, with its micro-porosities, can regulate both excess and scarcity of water.

By Brice de La Morandière

We recently tasted the six Pinot Noirs from Esprit Leflaive together. Launched with the 2018 vintage, this collection features eight distinctive wines that explore the exceptional terroirs of Burgundy beyond the familiar Côte de Beaune and Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir parcels, often very old, were rigorously selected and are harvested by the Domaine's teams.

Crafted with an artisanal spirit and in small quantities, the aim is to produce wines of finesse and elegance, while achieving depth and substance—in short, adhering to Leflaive's stylistic definition. For the six wines from the 2021 vintage, currently available to enthusiasts, Guy Seddon kindly shared his impressions, which I present to you here:

"The Esprit Leflaive project is a haute couture négociant venture aiming uncompromisingly for the highest standards. While the entire range bears the hallmark of the Domaine’s lofty quality standards, it is the reds that truly push the boundaries—not only geographically but also varietally. The Esprit Leflaive reds have captured the texture and precision of the 2021 vintage, which could embody the quintessence of Burgundian vintages. The Côte de Nuits is represented by an intense Gevrey-Chambertin and a delicately spiced Nuits-Saint-Georges. From the Côte de Beaune, there is a supple, mineral-textured Savigny-Lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Jarrons, as well as two Beaune 1er Crus: a brilliant and modern Tuvilains and a harmoniously fragrant Épenottes. Finally, the Corton Grand Cru Les Grandes Lolières, sourced from vines planted in 1953, is spicy and concentrated."