Domaine Leflaive &
Domaines Leflaive Macon-Verzé Burgundy 2021
Since the inception of the French departmental system in 1790, Burgundy has been referred to as the geographic area comprising the four departments of Yonne, Côte-d'Or, Nièvre, and Saône-et-Loire (see map above created with https://www.mapchart.net/ and edited by and for ©Ledomduvin 2025).
However, the wine region called Burgundy is slightly different. Wines are produced in the Yonne department for Chablis (Auxerrois) and along a roughly 200 km corridor (following the highway A6) crossing three departments (from North to South): Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, and Rhône.
Yet, most Burgundy maps mainly show the regions of Côte-d'Or and Saône-et-Loire, reducing the Burgundy stretch to only about 125 km, starting south of Dijon and ending south of Macon (often excluding Beaujolais and Chablis).
Although the Chablis and Beaujolais regions are also part of Burgundy, respectively located in the Yonne and Rhône departments, they are often left off most Burgundy maps, mostly appearing in the corner or on a separate map entirely (see above - Map of Burgundy - Courtesy of www.bourgogne-wines.com).
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Within each of these departments, the wine areas are divided into several regions, subdivided into several appellation levels (based on quality and rank), and arranged in a pyramid, starting with the most generic, AOC regional, at the bottom and ascending to AOC communes/villages or appellations, AOC 1er Cru and AOC Grand Cru (see the pyramid above).
I created the "BURGUNDY AOC Hierarchy Table with Leading APPELLATIONS" above because I could not find a table that included the main Burgundy AOC. Numbers may differ depending on the sources. (*)
However, enough is said about Burgundy's many AOCs; let's focus on the one of interest for today's post: Puligny-Montrachet.
Map of Puligny-Montrachet - Courtesy of www.bourgogne-wines.com
Located in the Cote d'Or department, Puligny-Montrachet is a small village at the heart of the Côte de Beaune, between Meursault to the north and Chassagne-Montrachet to the south. Domaine Leflaive is the jewel of the appellation, renowned for producing some of the finest whites of Burgundy.
The village of Puligny-Montrachet produces wines under 3 levels of AOC:
- Village (both white and red, even if the red only accounts for less than 1% of the total production),
- Premier Cru (white only)
- Grand Cru (white only)
NB: Other reds from defined areas within the boundaries of Puligny-Montrachet are usually sold under the appellation "Côte de Beaune Villages."
Puligny-Montrachet possesses 17 climats classified as "Premier Cru" and shares 2 "Grand Cru" with Chassagne-Montrachet.
17 Premier Cru
Champ Canet, Champ Gain, Clavaillon, Clos de la Garenne, Clos de la Mouchère, Hameau de Blagny, La Garenne, La Truffière, Le Cailleret, Les Chalumaux, Les Combettes, Les Demoiselles, Les Folatières, Les Perrières, Les Pucelles, Les Referts and Sous le Puits
4 Grands Crus
Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet (shared with Chassagne-Montrachet)
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet (situated entirely within Puligny-Montrachet)
Some may also think of a fifth one, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, but it is located entirely within Chassagne-Montrachet.
Domaine Leflaive
The Leflaive family's roots date back to 1717 when Claude Leflaive settled in Puligny-Montrachet. The following generations worked as Tonneliers (Cooper) and owned several hectares of vines whose grapes were sold. Joseph Leflaive (1870-1953) created the Domaine, and his son Vincent Leflaive further developed it.
Vincent's daughter, Anne-Claude Leflaive, a winemaker and pioneer in biodynamic viticulture, succeeded her father in 1990 and began overseeing Domaine Leflaive's day-to-day operations. Under her leadership, the Domaine underwent a renaissance, drastically improving the quality of the wines.
After Anne-Claude Leflaive's untimely death in April 2015, the estate is now managed by Brice de la Morandiere, Anne-Claude's nephew and Joseph's great-grandson. Winemaking is under the control of Eric Remy.
The Domaine is a leading producer of biodynamic practices and the flagship of the appellation. It covers approximately 24 hectares in Puligny-Montrachet and features Grands Crus and Premiers Crus, all dedicated to a single varietal: Chardonnay.
Domaine Leflaive produces wines at all AOC levels:
AOC Grand Cru
- Montrachet, 0.0821 hectares (0.203 acres)
- Chevalier-Montrachet, 1.99 hectares (4.9 acres)
- Bâtard-Montrachet, 1.91 hectares (4.7 acres)
- Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, 1.15 hectares (2.8 acres)
AOC Premier Cru
- Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles, Folatières, Les Combettes, Le Clavoillon
- Meursault sous le Dos d'Âne
AOC Village wine
- Puligny-Montrachet, 7 climats totalling 4.64 hectares (11.5 acres)
AOC Regional wine
- Bourgogne blanc from 2 parcels totalling 3.24 hectares (8.0 acres)
To clarify, Domaine Leflaive and Olivier Leflaive's négociant business are completely separate entities.
As for "Domaines Leflaive" (with an "s" at the end of Domaine), it represents an extension of Domaine Leflaive in the Mâconnais region to explore the family's extensive vineyard holdings (Mâcon-Verzé, Pouilly-Fuissé, etc...). These holdings are either owned or leased long-term through the family's close relationships with vineyard owners in the area.
The vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic, and the family directly handles all work in the vineyards, the harvest, and the vinification of the wines in the Domaine's cellar in Puligny-Montrachet.
This Mâcon-Verzé is one of these wines and undeniably one of the best values of their portfolio.
Domaines Leflaive Macon-Verzé Burgundy 2021
Mineral, fresh, zesty, focused, subtle, elegant, gentle, with lemon and stonefruit aromas mingling with butter, vanilla, and toasted nuances, and that utterly satisfying "glycerine" sensation coating the palate, so characteristic of Domaine Leflaive wines, especially within their Puligny-Montrachet(s), leading to the long, fresh and mineral finish. What a delicious little wine with a lively energy! Love it!
I could drink a lot of this wine! 😋😋😋😋
Cheers! Santé!
Dom
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(*) Numbers may differ depending on the sources. The table above only includes the main regions and villages, as it would be impossible to fit every single one of the 785 AOCs (appellations) of Burgundy into a single table. For example, there are 44 AOC villages and a staggering 662 climats classified as Premiers Crus in Burgundy. Some Regional Appellations and regional denominations have also been omitted due to a lack of space (e.g., Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise, Bourgogne Côte du Couchois, Bourgogne white and red, Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains, and Côteaux Bourguignons, Crémant de Bourgogne, etc.). Numbers courtesy of https://www.bourgogne-wines.com
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