2023 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy

he 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a little more intensity on the nose than the Bienvenue with touches of struck flint, cold stone and light Granny Smith scents that are tightly coiled and unfold with aeration. The palate is crisp and taut, much more mineral driven than the Bienvenue with a really complex and persistent finish that is a joy to behold. This riveted me to the spot, and is one of the finest expressions of this holding that I have encountered in over 25 years of tasting at Leflaive

98 points Vinous

Bâtard Montrachet is one of Burgundy’s most monumental white wines, broad shouldered, powerful and capable of extraordinary complexity, yet in the hands of Domaine Leflaive it never loses its sense of precision. The domaine has become the benchmark for biodynamic white Burgundy, and under Brice de La Morandière the wines continue to capture that rare balance between intensity and purity.

The 2023 is still tightly coiled, but already astonishingly detailed. Layers of lemon curd, white peach and ripe pear unfold slowly, wrapped in white flowers, toasted hazelnut and an unmistakable smoky, flinty reduction. There’s a quiet power sitting underneath it all, less explosive than many Bâtards at this stage, more controlled and architectural.

With air, the wine keeps revealing new dimensions. Citrus oil, warm brioche, crushed stone and a faint saline edge build gradually, creating an almost endless sense of movement. Oak is there, but seamlessly absorbed into the wine’s structure rather than standing apart from it.

Texture is where this becomes mesmerising. The wine coats every corner of the palate, dense and layered, yet somehow still weightless. Acidity cuts through the richness with laser precision, carrying wave after wave of citrus, mineral and savoury complexity into a finish that seems to echo for minutes.

This is the sort of wine that transforms a meal into an event. Butter poached lobster with saffron would be extraordinary, but it’s equally breathtaking with turbot in beurre blanc, white truffle risotto or even a perfectly aged comté served simply with warm bread. The wine doesn’t overpower food, it elevates it.

Still profoundly young and barely beginning to open, though the balance and concentration here suggest decades of evolution ahead.

There’s a sense of calm grandeur here, a wine that doesn’t need to shout because every detail feels perfectly placed.