Leflaive & Associes Bourgogne Blanc 2018

Aubert de Villaine of DRC fame once told a crazy story at a dinner I was at when asked about his 2016 Montrachet (his only white). In 2016, 80% of this tiny Grand Cru vineyard was lost to hail. In what was an unprecedented move in the history of Burgundy, all the domaines that own vines in Montrachet joined together to blend all their fruit into a single wine.

Someone asked Aubert, “If all of you put your fruit together, who made the wine?” Without any hesitation, he responded, “Domaine Leflaive, of course.” Pretty telling. When the winemaker of arguably the best red wine in the world tells you who makes the best white wine in the world without any hesitation, you listen!

And while I can’t offer up the long, long gone 2016 Montrachet, today, my inside access has earned us exclusive access at an unbeatable price on a secret declassified Leflaive project from 2018 that features fruit exclusively from Puligny Montrachet. But because the land is owned by relatives and long time friends the wines say, Leflaive & Associes instead of Domaine Leflaive.

Same farmers, winegrowers and vineyard managers, just not the estate fruit. Made in the Leflaive winery with the same barrels. Still the same unrivaled class in a bottle. Wine Spectator’s feature on the 2018 Leflaive wines called it “an ideal vintage”. That’s what you’re getting today. The same essential calcareous clay soil, the same team behind the best white wines in the whole world.