SF WSET Dom. Leflaive Tasting (Les Pucelles, Clavoillon)

What's not to love about getting together for a tasting of Leflaive, comparing '07 Bourgognes and a couple of Premier Crus to examples from prior years? Members of the San Francisco WSET group convened on this subject this week, and the general conclusion was that our '07 samples indicate a vintage of power and precision, but there was also a lot of love for mature samples of Les Pucelles and Clavoillon from '99 and '00, respectively, thanks to their nuttiness and complexity. Some were more impressed by the '07 Meursault sample than I was. And the '07 Les Pucelles stood head and shoulders for me above the '07 Clavoillon, as it did, I think, for most of the group. As usual with this crowd, there were insightful and geeky discussions regarding botrytis, sulfur levels, reduction, barrel selection, declassification and other winemaking topics. Many thanks to Dan Culley-Rapata for organizing and hosting us.

• 2007 Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  Light yellow color; tart lemon, vanilla, citrus, kumquat, vanilla bean nose; round, tasty, tart lemon, mineral palate with good acidity and balance; medium finish 90+ pts.

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• 2006 Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc

  Bright light yellow color; appealing, lemon, lemon cream, vanilla, floral, orange blossom and acacia nose with some botrytis sweetness; round, sweet lemon, tart orange, acacia, vanilla oak palate; medium finish

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• 2005 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet

  Light golden yellow color; poised, lemon, vanilla, nutty, mineral nose with a sense of chalk; tasty, still a little tight, minerally, tart lemon palate; medium-plus finish

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• 2007 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Bright light yellow color; nice tart lemon, verging on baked lemon, mineral, reduction nose; tasty, poised, elegant, tart lemon, mineral palate with structure; medium-plus finish 94+ pts.

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• 1999 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Light medium canary yellow color; nutty, hazelnut, poached pear, butter, smoke, bacon fat nose; butter, tart lemon, nutty, pear palate; medium finish 93+ pts.

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• 2007 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Bright light yellow color; nice lemon, acacia, mineral nose; tasty, tart lemon, mineral, tart pineapple, pear palate with depth and cut; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.

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• 2000 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Light golden yellow color; mature hazelnut, cheese rind nose with some reduction; tart lemon, almond, pear, vanilla, a little tight now; medium finish

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• 2007 Domaine Leflaive Meursault 1er Cru Sous le Dos d'Âne 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Light yellow color; light, beckoning lemon chiffon, mineral, tart pineapple, lemon Koolaid nose; tart orange, clementine, lemon, mineral, chalk palate, a little steely; medium-plus finish ("a Meursault with a Puligny sensibility," per Rebecca)

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• 2008 Merryvale Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Light, green-tinged, yellow color; pineapple, tart tropical fruit nose; rich, ripe lemon, pineapple, apple, butter, lime palate; medium-plus finish 90+ pts. (12 mo. fermentation)

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• 2007 Domaine Barat Chablis 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  Light yellow color; reduction, lime, tart citrus nose; tart citrus, lime, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium finish 88+ pts.

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