Three affordable white burgundies from biodynamic winery Domaine Leflaive

Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, in the Côte-d’Or department of France, produces one of the finest white burgundies, which is highly sought after by connoisseurs.

Currently heading up the winery, Brice de la Morandière is the great-grandson of Joseph Leflaive, who established the family-run domaine in 1910. De la Morandière’s late aunt, Anne-Claude Leflaive, left an indelible mark on the winery from 1990 to 2015, taking its wines to new heights in quality and elegance. De la Morandière’s long-term goal is to “enhance the quality of the wine in terms of elegance and precision”, he says.

As in many other regions, wine quality in Burgundy is largely determined by weather conditions during the growing season. De la Morandière says that 2014 is “one of the best vintages. It is the most elegant, with equilibrium”. He adds that the 2014 is drinking well now, which could be a drawback: although the wines will drink well in the future, the winemaker worries that they will all have been quaffed before they have had the chance to age.

Domaine Leflaive was converted to biodynamics 21 years ago, synthetic additives were eschewed and viticultural processes were designed around the lunar cycle. Special preparations are added to vine roots and leaves, and homoeopathic mixtures used to combat pests and diseases. De la Morandière admits to being obsessed with biodynamics, believing “it produces far more superior wines with better expression”.

Meanwhile, the wines of Burgundy continue to rise in popularity, leading to scarcity in supply and escalating prices. This has been exacerbated by consecutively small harvests due to adverse weather drastically reducing yields. De La Morandière accepts that Domaine Leflaive needs to be more accessible when it comes to pricing, and the family has expanded its vineyard holdings, with 20 hectares in Mâcon.