Tasted in Puligny-Montrachet with Philippe Grillet & Solène Panigai, 20 January 2023.
Olivier Leflaive
Place du Monument
21190 Puligny-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 95 27
www.olivier-leflaive.com
More reports for Maison Olivier Leflaive.
I missed Franck Grux in December so arranged a follow-up to taste their reds – these account for roughly 15% of the production here so that’s still nearly 20 cuvées. As ‘luck’ would have it, Franck was again under the weather. I could hear his heavy cold when he phoned in – a shame for him – he missed the Swiss chocolates 😉
Philippe & Solène on reds of 2021:
“Again, like the whites, it’s a very small volume. But we had nice degrees of ripeness as a small compensation – we have some nice surprises!”
The wines…
Good attractive 21s and altogether more serious 2020s – as you would hope. A couple of properly great reds to finish – they are worth a special search on your part!
First some 2021s. A quick look at those wines that have already been bottled – almost all had been bottled this week – only the Bourgogne was bottled earlier, in December 2022:
2021 Bourgogne Rouge Cuvée Margot
Named after Olivier’s daughter. ‘Local grapes’ – a lot from Puligny some from Corpeau, Meursault and Volnay – a little wider too from Hautes Côtes, Chorey and Maranges – normally about 20 parcels, the grapes all mixed – only the Hautes Côtes has some separate elevage as it’s bought a week or two later. Bottled before Christmas.
Round, a faintly smoky nose, cushioned with easy red fruit. Supple, easy over the palate – a little round and easy but also quite tasty with a faint chalky tannin texture at the end – the finish is a good one, still with a modest fumé impression. It’s good!
The following bottled this week:
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge
Three parcels – Pins, Combottes and Sous les Clous. Vines en-fermage here so they do all the work. Later harvested vines
Some extra aromatic width though fewer higher and lower tones – but growing in the bass-notes. More open, finer texture – a little cushion too – this has a little more of everything – clarity too – it’s very good, I like the finish!
2021 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Les Fichots Rouge
Two parcels.
Extra higher tones – a little floral perfume too. More direct, cooler fruit – I like this energy. It’s a lovely wine, sinuous and delicious.
2021 Pommard
Two parcels blended. Chanlins villages plus some Refene 1er…
Higher toned but with some darker, deeper aspects. A slight reduction in the flavours hence the depth of the nose – but this is round, nicely structured, only modestly accented with tannin it’s a wine with good concentration and a tasty width of flavour – the texture is nice too!
2021 Volnay 1er Clos des Angles
Part old, part young vines – a contract here since 1994.
A breadth and extra freshness – some meatiness to the base of these aromas. Open, fine clarity – this has a lovely shape and complexity – supple and growing in interest. Super – with super length too!
Now the 2020s.
“We always commercialise a little later than than the whites so we still have stocks of these. Since 2012 all are DIAM – just like for the whites:”
2020 Bourgogne Rouge Cuvée Margot
Bottled January 2022
Of course a bit more colour. A broad, darker-fruited, more muscular aromatic. Supple, nicely clean and cool flavours – hmm – that’s very good – finishing so well, almost a little chocolate here. A super Bourgogne.
2020 Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge
Some high tones – this is narrower but deep in the aromas. Cool, spreading wide over the palate – actually that’s a really delicious last flavour – just with a little dryness in the finish – keep it two years – lovely wine!
2020 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Les Fichots Rouge
A little fumé but showing a more vibrant width of energy – slowly becoming more floral. Incisive, cool, fine direct fruit – lovely energy too – that’s a simply excellent villages with a lovely texture – keep it a couple of years only to lessen the small fumé aspect of the barrels – or drink today if you don’t mind that.
2020 Santenay 1er Passetemps
A single parcel of about 40-year-old vines
Broader and redder fruited, a little rounder aspect to these aromas. Supple, cool fruit again, fine and complex – that’s another really lovely wine, one with a certain generosity but at the expense of clarity – Yum!
2020 Volnay
Another wine with a mix of parcels – 3.
The nose starts a little diffuse but widens and opens and becomes ever-more attractive – decant today! Fine breadth, delicate complexity but with a no lack of concentration. For the vintage, there’s some finesse here and the pinot is very present. Lovely wine.
2020 Volnay 1er Clos des Angles
Lots of colour of course but far from saturated. This nose is overtly concentrated and a little unwilling to open its arms to embrace. Supple and concentrated – a mm or two of cushion to these flavours. Texturally lovely – velvet – the finish is a super one too. Carafe today or keep as many years as you like – or have!
Practically 100-year-old vines.
So deeply coloured. Also a little tight but already there’s some floral perfume escaping from this wine. More structure, nothing hard – such concentration – wow – but there remains the energy to balance. I think this has the potential to be more than excellent. A wine that will undoubtedly outlive me – but I think also that can be enjoyed every couple of years from now to 2060+! Bravo!
From Grands Epenots.
This nose has more open top notes from the start – but what depth too – still you should absolutely carafe today – floral notes begin to escape the glass and mix with the faint fumé from the barrel after only a short aeration. Cool, mobile – it’s hard to be fluid with such concentration – but this comes close – it’s certainly more direct than the Champans. Mouth-watering in the finish. Another wine that will easily outlive me. Not fully chiselled but still a fairly classic Epenots – your grandchildren would enjoy it too!