Wine tasting for our negociant suppliers

Last Wednesday June 15th we organised our annual wine tasting reserved exclusively for the vignerons who supply grapes for our winery.

It is the occasion to see the vintage as a whole, this time 2009, in two colours, to exchange ideas and to define it. The wines are served by the winery personnel who enjoy meeting the various vignerons.
No fancy snacks, no great lunch just plain bread and a few gougeres. 130 people came to visit us between 17h00 and 20h00 each having finished their working day in the cellar or vines. Most of these people are bottling at present and sell to both the national and export markets. These conversations, friendly, frank exchanges, are well worth while because when we chat together as winemakers we are also in contact with those who buy and drink our wines.
In buying a vignerons harvest and making a wine with it we contribute to the overall public knowledge of that terroir.
Tasting from Montagny-les-Buxy to Corton-Charlemagne via St Aubin, Puligny and Chassagne allows a better understanding of the chardonnay varietal. Meanwhile tasting from Santanay to Aloxe-Corton via Volnay and Pommard gives a more complete picture of pinot–noir.
Some of our visitors have told us that in tasting our range of wines it allows them see their own in a different light. We have been organizing this event every year since the creation of our winery in 1985 and we shall continue to do so.
Franck GRUX, Technical Director

The sun doesn’t always shine on Puligny Montrachet…

Just like you, I‘m sure, sometimes I want to just stay underneath the duvet and make time stand still! Finally the rain that we have been waiting for to water our vines has arrived. The morale of the vignerons has been raised but for a June day we could expect a little better… a bike ride in the vines, a drink on the terrace, exploring the lanes in the neighbouring villages, walking in Beaune and finding oneself lost in its backstreets. All those things that you, visitors from around the world, come here to do. But your stay need not be ruined. Our optimism and conviviality will give you the ray of sunshine you have come to find. A blind tasting, games by the fire, a wine quiz, a good meal chatting with the table next to you, whose occupants will certainly become friends by the end of the day (the wine will make sure of that!), an artist’s exhibition, snail hunting in the vines, a massage in our high tech chair , a film of the vines, teatime pouring over the latest wine magazines, a spa treatment in either Beaune or Chalon… We can show you so many ways to fall in love with Burgundy. After all when the weather is bad at home what do you do?
Julie Leflaive

General Manager of La Maison d’Olivier Leflaive

Nathalie Harvey exhibition

Julie Leflaive and Nathalie Harvey are very glad to invite you to the opening of Nathalie Harvey's exhibition Saturday 18th of June between 17 h 00 and 20h 00 at La Maison d'Olivier Leflaive.

The exhibition will run from the 18th of June to the 10th of Septmber.
Nathalie Harvey was born in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in 1975 to a French mother and an American father. Nathalie’s work as already been shown in exhibition in Berlin, Marakesh, Seattle, Brussels, Saint-Paul-De-Vence, Bologna and Paris.
“Paint is above all a toy and my workshop a magnificent adventure playgroud where accidents always prove positive and inspirational.
The feminine has always been my inspiration.

2010 A Dream Vintage?

When a vintage gives us such good body, an excellent acidity and a true expression of terroir, we, the winemakers, should have all the necessary qualities to produce wines of the highest quality.  2009 was a year which gave us a lot of rich, heavy fruit with very little acidity. The weather in 2010 was unusual and made a marked difference, particularly in the premier and grand crus.
June’s colder temperatures didn’t allow the flowering of the vines to happen as normal. Coulure (where the flowers shatter and the fruit is therefore not properly pollinated) and millerandage (the non-development of the fruit) gave us a reduced harvest most notably in the premier and grand crus (these were more advanced in their vegetative cycle) and a remarkable concentration of flavour.
Following this a cold summer with little sunshine did nothing to help the harvest. It was only in September that the return of the sun turned around the vintage and gave us what we have in the cellar today.
The only uncertainty with the aging, which has moved very quickly (1 to 1.5% vol/week) is the level of acidity, which is not dropping very quickly. If there is enough sunshine with a cold north-east wind the colder temperatures do not allow the breaking down of the malik and tartric acids in the grapes.
From the tests performed on the grapes we saw a large discrepancy between the parcelles. The grands vins, which had been badly affected by millerandage, were mature well before the village and regional areas which meant starting the harvest on the 15th September.
The Result:  The whites are full, classy and have a good acidity which will give them life and length. The reds are fruity with supple tannins, elegant but with the tone of the vintage.
So, dear reader, if you are in doubt as to the quality of 2010, having read the opinion of a winemaker who loves this style of wine, come to Burgundy and discover our winery and our wines!
Philippe GRILLET

The sayings of Spring

2011 harvest, will it be earlier than 2003 or 1976? Comments are rife among those who write everything in little notebooks all year round and those who remember what their grandfathers told them of previous vintages. One thing is certain; we're early by about two weeks compared to the cycle of recent years.

The old adage "early Easter, late Easter ... buds at Easter” this year it’s the case.

A simple stroll through the vines at this time and we understand that the most prestigious vineyards are already showing their grapes, with 6-7 leaves unfolded, while the regional appellation Bourgogne has been rudely awakened from its winter lethargy. It is often said that the sun shines for everybody; agreed that a sunny month of April is very rare, but at the same time, there will always be glaring differences between the richest and most modest parcels.

In April: N’er cast a cloud ‘til May is out! You can’t imagine being out with a big wool sweater on your back in this heat? Another famous saying collapses.             

In May, do what you like! Like it or not, work in the vineyard will not wait. It is not worth considering going on holiday or thinking about enjoying the May bank holidays.             

May is the month full of dangers, let me explain:           

The winegrowers are scrupulous in the vineyard; bent over to remove the shoots in order to limit the production of grapes and avoid excess yield unworthy of Grand Crus appellation. After thinning the vines 7-10 bunches per vine, according to appellation, remain to ripen until the harvest. 

The risk of frost still exists this month, with the period of the "Ice Saints", the 11, 12 and 13^th of May (respectively Saint Mamert, Saint Pancras and Saint Servais). Here the winemaker can lose everything overnight to a bad frost.

Last saying to think about: Do not count your chickens before they hatch!

2011 has just begun, wait a few weeks and we'll see ...              

Franck GRUX

New offer at La Maison d’Olivier Leflaive

For a gourmet gateway  we propose, in partenership with the restaurant Le Montrachet, a stay which includes : a wine tasting of 5 wines from Olivier Leflaive as an aperitif ; a gourmet dinner at Le Montrachet (wines included) ; one night at La Maison d’Olivier Leflaive 4**** Hotel ; breakfast and visits of our vineyards and cellars the following morning.

The rate is 460 € low season and 520 € high season, per couple.

We have designed this package to showcase the warmth and authenticity of Burgundy including discovering Olivier Leflaive’s wines and having dinner at one of the best restaurants in Burgundy.

http://www.maison-olivierleflaive.fr/maison-olivier-leflaive/fr/maison.html

03 80 21 95 27
E-mail : maison@olivier-leflaive.com

Book your stay with Julie Leflaive or with Fabrizio...