Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne 'Les Setilles' Chardonnay 2016

This is a wine for those in the know, it's like a speak easy that requires are secret knock and a password derived from Bugsy Malone. Given this wine is just labelled as White Burgundy, many may simply pass it by like an unremarkable launderette. Yet closer inspection, will present a chorus line of unrestrained decadence. You see this is made by one of White Burgundy's great producers, from carefully selected vineyard plots around the famous communes of Meursault and Puligny Montrachet, this wine drinks like a top wine from the region at a fraction of the price. By the way, "those in the know" seem to include Harry and Meghan as this was the wine selected for their Royal wedding!

Domaine Leflaive is the most famous estate in Puligny-Montrachet. After the untimely death of Anne-Claude Leflaive in April 2015, the estate is now being managed by Brice de la Morandiere with the winemaking under the control of Eric Remy (in succession to Pierre Morey who retired in 2008).

Leflaives have been extant in Puligny since 1717 but the real founder of the domaine was Joseph (1870-1953) who was succeeded by two of his sons, Vincent and Jo. However it was under the stewardship of Anne-Claude between 1990 and 2015 that the domaine became a leader in Burgundy’s biodynamic movement, the whole property being converted in 1997.The “Sétilles” cuvee, was named after the cadastral where the Maison Olivier Leflaive winery is based. This regional appellation Burgundy Chardonnay is a blend of about 60 different vineyards located around the villages of Puligny and Meursault, on calcareous clay and silty clay soils. After pressing, the must (grape juice after pressing) was fermented in stainless steel tanks, then matured for 15 months in total (including 5 months in stainless steel tank): 2/3 the blend in oak wine barrels (whose 13% of new oak barrels, the remainder being used barrels), and 1/3 in stainless steel tanks.