domaine leflaive bienvenues batard montrachet 2020

this domaine located in the heart of puligny de montrachet needs little introduction. domaine leflaive is undoubtedly the most important domaine in puligny, one of the most iconic in burgundy and one of the most relevant white wine producers in the world. the leflaive family has been in puligny since the early 17th century, but the real domaine leflaive was founded by joseph leflavie when in 1917 he inherited the winery and 2 hectares. joseph studied engineering in paris but always maintained a stimulating link with the property, so much so that in those early years when the impact of phylloxera and powdery mildew led so many winegrowers to sell their properties joseph amassed the dazzling collection of grand crus and premier crus in puligny. those two hectares became 20. in 1953, when joseph passed away, his children jo and vincent took over the management of the winery. during their time the winery maintained its reputation and even included a small parcel of montrachet. in 1990 both jo and vincent gave way to their children anne-claude and olivier. olivier decided to focus on his project while anne-claude remained at the helm of the winery. during her time at the helm anne claude turned the winery into one of the examples of sustainability in all of burgundy. since her arrival in 1990 she started experimenting with biodynamics and in 1997 the entire property is worked according to these principles. as she herself said "her great challenge was to maintain quality while maintaining sustainable practices". together with pierre morey who worked with her until 2008 anne-claude produced some of the most exciting and profound white burgundies of her time. in the cellar the fermentations were long, always using indigenous yeasts and always in barrel. aging extends up to 12 months and with up to 25% new oak. the wines are then racked to tanks where they remain to stabilize naturally. today the winery is run by bryce de la moradiere, great-great-grandson of the founder joseph, who is in charge of the winery. leflaive's 2020 bienvenues-bâtard-montrachet grand cru exhibits aromas of white currants, citrus oil, freshly baked bread, fresh herbs and white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and layered palate with good concentration, racy acids and a chalky finish. this is quite a fine-boned, delicate bienvenues that doesn't show much of the vintage's sunshine.