2012 Chevalier Montrachet
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Tasting notes
Bright, light yellow. Very rich, explosive aromas of exotic pineapple and honey lifted by pungent calcaire . Extremely rich and concentrated but classically dry and fine-grained, without an ounce of excess weight. A powerful expression of crushed-stone minerality, with its grapefruit and lemon cut accentuating the impression of inner-mouth tension and energy. Finishes extremely long, with a fine dusting of tannins and the strong lemony acidity drawing out the fruit. The pH here is a very low 3.0, according to managing director Brice de la Morandière. Just after the bottling, I described this wine's pineapple and crushed-stone aromas as Riesling-like--at least compared to the estate's Batard-Montrachet. A very strong vintage for this wine, and a spectacular start to the tasting. This Chevalier-Montrachet should be long-lived. (13.05% natural alcohol; the harvest at Domaine Leflaive began on September 14; overall production was reduced by half in 2012, owing to a long, difficult flowering with extensive coulure and millerandage _; at the time, then-winemaker Eric Remy noted that "rot was the only problem that we didn't have in 2012")
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Dense and reserved, Leflaive's 2012 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with aromas of pear, toasted bread, citrus zest, mandarin and crisp peach, framed by a touch of light reduction and new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and powerful, with tangy acids, prodigious concentration and a penetrating, mouthwatering finish. This is a muscular, tight-knit Chevalier that will need time. The product of a humid spring and yields reduced by mildew and hail, by the numbers the 2012 possesses only 13.05% alcohol with a low pH of 3.0.
Bright yellow. Pure aromas of pineapple, crushed stone and menthol; comes across as riesling-like compared to the Batard. Creamy-sweet, fine-grained and utterly seamless, showing an impossibly light touch to its bracing grapefruit, lemon and mineral flavors. A brilliant combination of the velvety lower part of the appellation and the tension and minerality of the top of Chevalier-Montrachet. Echoes and expands on the brilliantly pure, vibrant back end. The crop level here was just 22 hectoliters per hectare, according to winemaker Remy.
About the producer
Domaine Leflaive is arguably Burgundy’s most famous white wine producer, setting the benchmark for top-quality Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune and the world. The property is the largest land-owner in Puligny-Montrachet, with extensive holdings in the village and five hectares of Grand Cru vineyards