Domaines Leflaive 2024 Collection & Previous Vintage


Domaine Leflaive is one of the most highly-regarded producers of white wine in all of Burgundy. Third-generation Anne-Claude Leflaive took over in 1994, working with winemaker Pierre Morey until his retirement in 2008. Since the untimely death of Anne-Claude in 2015, her nephew Brice de La Morandière has
run the estate; he appointed current winemaker Pierre Vincent in 2017, who will be leaving the estate at the end of 2024.


The family farms 24ha in the Côte de Beaune and as much again in the Mâconnais, entirely planted to Chardonnay. The domaine has been farmed according to biodynamic principles since the harvest of 1997; Brice de La Morandière believes that this has dramatically benefited the clay-rich soils.


The Chardonnay grapes are lightly crushed before a slow press, a brief settling and then fermentation in cask. During the first year, the wines are left in barrel and not racked until August.

 

2024 VINTAGE Report

Working with Nature means humbly accepting its variations, challenges, and the difficulties it occasionally throws our way. This is certainly true for the 2024 vintage, which can immediately be classified as a challenging one. The year was particularly rainy: from January to October, rainfall reached one and a half times the usual amounts, and more than double the precipitation of the previous two years combined. The rain was consistent, leading to significant replenishment of groundwater. In October 2024, the old wells at Rue de l’Église and Place du Pasquier both overflowed, though fortunately only modestly.

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 nosignificant 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.