In the Glass — 2010 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles Review

A “Jeune Fille” unprepared to reveal her elegance and a coming-of-age story that demands great patience.

As a cornerstone producer of white Burgundy in Puligny-Montrachet, Domaine Leflaive has long established a global reputation with its distinct style. On Chinese social media, wine lovers affectionately refer to it as “Double Roosters” from its label. As Domaine Leflaive’s top Premier Cru(often mentioned with the Grand Crus), Les Pucelles has been much praised and adored. The current manager Brice de la Morandière shared that for his daily vineyards visit, he often starts from Clavoillon, passing Folatieres, and last to Les Pucelles and the Grand Crus, enough to emphasize the site’s potential. Les Pucelles is often described to be more elegant with aromatic complexity than most.

Granted, this was not the first Leflaive I’ve tried, so I was well-acquainted of the signature Lefaive-style, which is intense yet finesse, a round buttery texture and an explosion of brioche, popcorn, and nuttiness on the palate. Nevertheless, as much as I have done the research before purchasing this 2010 Les Pucelles, I could not have been more confused throughout the entire night of the tasting. I kept asking myself: “What happened?” Let me explain why.

In 1905, Joseph Leflaive purchased the vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet that were suffering from a Phylloxera crisis, so he set out to replant all the vines and expanded the vineyards. It was really all thanks to his grand daughter Anne-Claude Leflaive and her advocacy for sustainable viticulture that Domaine Leflaive is known by all of us around the world. When she took the helm in early 1990s, she transformed the Domaine to be an early-adopter of organic & biodynamic farming practices in Burgundy. Because of these sustainable farming practices, their grapes were able to fully express the authenticity and distinctive of the terroir, hence the floral notes and freshness of the fruits that wine lovers are hooked by a Puligny-Montrachet.

Back in my glass, the wine appeared almost glazed with gold. I was exuberant to see the shimmering color and again impressed by the quality from a prominent producer. After a little swirl in my mouth, there was a mélange of ripe apricot, preserved fruits, slight honey, and lots of floral notes especially osmanthus. Along with a medium-plus acidity, within the freshness of the wine, there were characteristics of vanilla and slight smokiness. One could tell that the wine demonstrated structure and body, but it just hasn’t fully expressed yet. Naturally we set it aside and let it evolved.

Even from this initial tasting, I immediately caught the characteristics of the terrior. The wine delivered crisp minerality and refreshing white blossom, which could not be realized if not for the Domaine’s precise vineyard management and meticulous winemaking techniques. From ensuring the highest-quality grapes to selecting barrels and aging protocols, Anne-Claude Leflaive introduced a new vision and standard for the region.

It was hard to imagine that for every bottle we were enjoying, so many considerations had gone into them — such as the ratio of old vs. new barrels and experimentations of the yeast streams — and all these decisions took generations of experience to prefect.

After an hour and half, we were excited to see how the wine has developed. So I took a sip, another, yet another, confusion took over …

At this point, even though the wine was showing more complexity with evolving notes like gasoline, lychee, and floralness, acidity broke that harmony with slight overwhelming distinction. The Chinese often describes Les Pucelles as a “Jeune Fille” — young lady— stemming from how this Premier Cru evokes the imagery of growth, beauty, and vitality associated with a young girl in her teenage years. At first she’s closed up and shy, but with time would slowly open up and reveal her true elegance and grace.

However, with this 2010 Les Pucelles, none of the buttery texture or popcorn flavors was bursting out. Our young girl almost seemed to refuse growing up, for which I totally understand after going through those teenage years …

After thinking through some possibilities, I have few speculations about how this happened:

• Age and Development: The 2010 vintage of Les Pucelles may still be relatively young and in need of additional aging to fully develop its texture and roundness. White Burgundy wines, particularly those from premium producers like Domaine Leflaive, can often benefit from extended bottle aging to integrate flavors and soften its structure.
• Vintage: 2010 was a tough year with cooler weather and severely reduced crop. Though it’s one of those years that startling quality came at the expense of low yield, the lower temperature and late ripeness may have contributed to the acidity and crispness.
• Winemaking Style: Factors such as barrel aging, yeast selection, and malolactic fermentation can all influence the wine’s texture and mouthfeel. The 2010 Les Pucelles might underwent less oak aging or a different malolactic fermentation process, resulting in a less pronounced buttery texture and secondary & tertiary aromas.
• Personal Preference: Of course, wine tasting is always subjective and everyone’s palates varies. It could be my sensitivity with acidity and preference for a bolder and intense style.

In some ways, I was only disappointed because it didn’t fully express itself while withholding so much potential - a boldness with complex layers and firm structure. On the other hand, for someone seeking out a classic Puligny-style white that’s fresh and floral, this is still a perfect choice.

It is intriguing to look into the future trajectory of Domaine Leflaive. As environmental concerns become increasingly prominent in the wine industry, I wonder what innovations the estate will come up with for its dedication to organic and biodynamic farming. It is likely that they will explore new markets while maintaining quality and exclusivity, and I hope that the future of Domaine Leflaive will continuously be shaped by a combination of tradition, innovation, sustainability, and adaptability under Brice’s lead.

Going back to the 2010 vintage Les Pucelles, as I poured out the last bits in my glass, I definitely think this wine had the potential for evolution and improvement over time to reach balance and finesse, revealing hidden layers of complexity or even umami. To age premium Burgundian wines like this, one can only cultivate great patience for it to slowly mature in order to earn the rewards in the glass.

I look forward to awaiting for the “Jeune Fille”s coming of age in some years.

Basic Profile

Varietal: White— Chardonnay

Appellation: Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles, FR

Classification: 1er Cru

Vintage: 2010 (Excellent)

Winemaker: Anne-Claude Leflaive

Alcohol %: 13%

Score: 94

My Score: 5/7

Price: ~$766 (750ml)