Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet is a Grand Cru of only around 3.7 hectares.

Domaine Leflaive owns 1.16 hectares of that small vineyard.

The vines were planted in 1958 and 1959, and the Chardonnay is farmed biodynamically in keeping with the domaine’s long-established philosophy.

The wine presented here is Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2023.

A tiny Grand Cru, mature vines and a generous 2023 vintage.

Together, they make this one of the clearest bottles through which to look at Domaine Leflaive today.

1.16 Hectares Within a Grand Cru of Around 3.7 Hectares

Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet is a white-wine Grand Cru in the village of Puligny-Montrachet.

The climat itself covers only around 3.7 hectares, while Domaine Leflaive’s holding extends to 1.16 hectares.

That is roughly one third of the entire vineyard.

In Burgundy, where ownership is often divided among multiple growers, such a substantial holding within such a small Grand Cru is an important part of the relationship between Leflaive and this site.

The soils are clay-limestone.

Leflaive’s parcel is planted with Chardonnay dating from 1958 and 1959.

Chardonnay Planted in 1958 and 1959

By the 2023 vintage, these vines had already been in the ground for more than six decades.

Age alone does not guarantee quality, but the work of maintaining an old parcel and judging its maturity from year to year is central to the identity of the domaine.

The vineyard is farmed biodynamically.

Harvesting is carried out by hand, with fruit selection and parcel-by-parcel monitoring used to determine the timing of picking.

Domaine Leflaive’s full commitment to biodynamics dates to the 1990s under Anne-Claude Leflaive.

Today it is less an additional philosophy than a basic part of how the domaine approaches its vineyards.

2023 — Generosity Without Losing Freshness

The 2023 Bourgogne growing season brought very warm, sunny conditions during ripening, while also delivering a generous crop.

The Bourgogne Wine Board describes the white wines of the vintage as expressive and intensely fruity, with ripe white-fruit character, suppleness and elegance.

Despite the heat, Chardonnay retained enough freshness to keep the wines from becoming simply broad or heavy.

For a Grand Cru such as Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, the interest lies not in scale alone, but in how ripe fruit, acidity and texture are brought into balance.

Twelve Months in Barrel, Then Around Ten Months in Stainless Steel

After harvest, the grapes undergo a long, gentle pneumatic pressing.

The juice is settled for 24 hours before alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in oak barrels.

The wine then spends 12 months in barrel on its lees.

After that, it moves to stainless steel for around ten further months on fine lees.

In total, the élevage is close to 22 months.

Rather than remaining in oak from beginning to end, the wine transitions to stainless steel for the second stage of ageing.

The purpose is not to make oak the dominant flavour, but to use time to refine the shape and stability of the wine itself.

A Family in Puligny-Montrachet Since 1717

The Leflaive family has been established in Puligny-Montrachet since 1717.

The modern foundations of the domaine were laid in the early twentieth century by Joseph Leflaive.

In the 1990s, Anne-Claude Leflaive led the estate toward full biodynamic farming, and today that philosophy continues under Brice de La Morandière, the founder’s great-grandson.

A family history stretching over three centuries, combined with vines planted more than sixty years ago.

Yet the work remains focused on adapting to the conditions of each new vintage.

Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 2023 is therefore not simply a wine whose value lies in age or reputation. It is a view of how a historic parcel is expressed through the domaine’s current approach.

Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2023

Burgundy, France | Côte de Beaune | Puligny-Montrachet | Grand Cru | White Wine | Chardonnay | 2023 | 750ml

Produced from Domaine Leflaive’s 1.16-hectare parcel planted in 1958 and 1959. The Chardonnay is farmed biodynamically and aged for 12 months in barrel followed by around ten months in stainless steel on fine lees.

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