Anne-Claude Leflaive is an inspiration for women in the wine industry – for anyone in the wine industry.  Her dedication – to her vines & wines, her family & heritage, and the people who support her in her endeavors – is limitless and her passion is contagious.  She certainly inspired me, and she epitomizes the values we hold dear at Maslow 6; passion, belief in education, and dedication.  After listening to her talk about her vision and tasting her wines, a group of us made a pact to go visit Anne-Claude in Burgundy to attend her school “Les Ecole du vin et des Terroirs”.  Most of the classes are in French, but they can arrange an English version for a large enough group (12-14).

The school is part of Anne-Claude’s vision, and is meant to educate consumers, winemakers, vignerons, sommeliers, journalists and the curious about the practices of Biodynamie, or Biodynamic farming.  These principles, as noted in an earlier blog, were first written down by Rudolf Steiner, and championed by some of the most passionate and meticulous winemakers today – Nicolas Joly in the Loire, Ann-Claude Leflaive and Lalou Bize-Leroy in Burgundy, Marcel Chapoutier in the Rhône Valley, Olivier Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace, and the list goes on and on.

One morning in early March, Anne-Claude and Pierre Morey, the now-retired winemaker for Domaine Leflaive, sat down with a group of about 15 sommeliers to tell us about her estate and her wines.  She has been Biodynamic for 18 years now, beginning in 1990.  From the 1960’s, the soils in Burgundy had become lifeless due to excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and use of heavy machinery in the vineyards, which compacts the soil.  She and her team began farming some parcels in Clavoillon, Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet and Bourgogne with alternating rows of organic and biodynamic methods.  The parcel in Bienvenues was quite ill, and was 30 years old at the time. The parcel is now 55 years old, and in good health due to Biodynamic methods.

This experiment continued for 7 years.  During this time, more microorganisms developed in the soils of the Biodynamic rows than in the organic rows, although both improved the quality of the vine health.  In 1900, Anne-Claude began farming all of her vineyards Biodynamically.  The methods may seem strange to some, but they certainly deserve merit, as they saved Anne-Claude’s old vines in Bienvenue and improved the quality of the vine health, resilience, and immunity – not to mention the wines – in all of her vineyards.

A few interesting tidbits of information really stuck out to me that day.  Many times I’ve experienced that it is difficult to taste wines on days when it is rainy and the barometric pressure is low (see Peter Liem’s blog for more), and Anne-Claude agreed, adding a layer of interest into the theme.  In the Biodynamic calendar, there are four different types of days:  fruit, flower, root and leaf. Leaf days, or water days, are not good for tasting, as the wines will taste vegetal.  Neither are root days, or earth days, when the wine tastes pushed and mineral.  Fruit and flower days are best for tasting.

Another interesting thing, in 2003, Anne-Claude did not acidify her wines.  It was a hot year, and the vines were suffering, sugars were climbing in the grapes.  Many people decided to harvest, but Anne-Claude did not.  A new moon was coming, and with a new moon brings a change of weather:  just a little rain arrived, and just in time.   The grapes, according to Anne, tasted completely different the next day.  The oneologist said to add acid, but Anne declined, due to an analysis done on the sensitive crystallization or the energies and vibrations of the juice.  The analysis said ‘do nothing’, so Anne did nothing.  Very deep roots due to deep plowing between the vines gave them extra resiliency in 2003, and gave the wines an extra shot of minerality.

And just one last little interesting fact, then on to the tasting notes of Anne-Claude’s amazing white Burgundies.   In 2008, there were days with excess rain and humidity, causing non-organic and biodynamic vignerons to spray their vines for rot and fungal diseases.  At Domaine Leflaive, a dusting of talcum powder on the vines not only sucked up extra moisture from the vines saving them from fungal disease, but did not impact the soil in a harmful way.  It was an idea that quickly caught on.

Now for the wines of Domaine Leflaive:

*A special note about these wines:  These were tasted with Joshua Greene, Tara Q. Thomas, Nicole Drummer, and Chris Hallowell of Wine and Spirits Magazine, along with a select group of sommeliers (I was lucky enough to be invited).  Some of the wines were opened a few days before, and decanted.  At least one was from a magnum bottle.  All of these wines, especially the younger ones, would benefit from decanting prior to serving.  For most full-bodied whites wines that are meant to age and develop in bottle will benefit from aeration if they are to be served while still young.  This will allow the aromatics and flavors to develop more fully from exposure to oxygen.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2006 (this bottle was tasted on Friday, but opened on Wednesday):  The aromas were filled with brown butter, mineral and sablé cookies, lemon and grapefruit, butter, oak and spice.  On the palate, flavors of sweet apple and pineapple were balanced with razor-edged acidity (so typical of Puligny) and steely minerality (also very Puligny).  Softly textured despite the acidity, with leesy notes.  This bottle, opened for a few days, showed more oxidative qualitites (brown butter, bruised apple, slight nuttiness), which were not unattractive – they were rather delicious.  It also showed the alcohol a touch more than the following bottle, which was opened that morning, or the night before.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2006: This bottle, opened in the morning, was less open on the nose, less aromatic.  More floral notes on the nose, with touches of brown butter, lemon, grapefruit and honey.  French oak lends aromas of vanilla and almost a powdery sweetness to the nose.  In the mouth, the wine is rich and soft, with floral, oak and grapefruit rind flavors.  Creamy, custard apples and a deep minerality follow.  Steely, with racy minerality, this wine is more gripping in the mouth and does not show the alcohol of the bottle which had been opened for a few days.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2005: The araoms are honeyed, with flinty, smoky minerality.  The wine is slighty herbal, briny, salty, with very intense notes of apple and pear, flowers and grapes (like wild scuppernongs) with powdery, vanilla, spicy notes of new French oak.  On the palate the acidity is chalky and grippy, with lemon and grapefruit citrus, steely, smoky, flinty minerality.  Notes of French oak – sweet baking spices and vanilla – are well integrated.  This is a rich wine with a firm structure (due to the acidity).  It is very young, but will age quite nicely over the next 8-10 years and even longer if you can stand not to drink it all before then.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2004: This wine would definitely benefit from decanting.  Very mineral, with apple skin and melon, honey, smoke, chalk and flint aromas.  Green aromas of muskmelon, green plum and salty, oyster-shell minerality balance out the sweet aromas of honey and butter.  The wine is very long in the mouth: rich, round and long-lasting, with flavors of honey, smoky minerals, ripe fruit and sweet spice.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2003: 2003 was a hot vintage.  Aromas and flavors of pineapple and baked apples, honey and minerals are fat and rich.  The acidit in this wine is markedly lower than in the other wines, which is typical in this hot vintage.  Many wines were acidified in 2003, but Anne-Claude and Pierre Morey decided not to acidify.  In this wine, the texture is fatter and richer than in most vinages, and the flavors are tropical, and not as long in the mouth.  It is a beautiful wine, perhaps for drinking on its own or with richer dishes, such as roast chicken with roasted root vegetables or celery root puree.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2002: This vintage was a “normal, nice vintage” according to Anne-Claude.  Aromas of butterscotch and honey, with minerals, apple skin, baked apples, melon, lees and butter and smoke and flowers and brown butter.  A very complex nose!  In the mouth, the wines is first steely and stony, with an almost salty, briny flavor and sharp acidity.  The acidity and minerality balance out the ripe citrus, apple and melon fruits.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 1998: This vineyard is closer to Meursault, so it is rounder and softer than most Puligny-Montrachet wines.  The wines of Puligny are more steel-edged, while in Meursault, the hazelnut aromas and a buttery texture prevail.  Honeyed and pineapple on the nose, with bruised apples – notes of oxidation and age.  Ripe and rich, salty, with a slight nuttiness almost like an Amontillado sherry.  Very long on the palate.

Puligny-Montrachet Grand Cru Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet 1998: This vineyard is 1.30 hectares (just over 3 acres), of 55 year old vines.  These vines were the ones saved with Biodynamie.  The nose is more closed than the Les Combettes, with more floral notes, honey, muskmelon and spice.  On the mouth, the wine is tight still, with chalky acidity and briny, salty notes.  Flavors of honey and lees, spices and minerals are very long on the finish and very fresh.  This wine will continue to develop, but is beautiful now as well.

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