Pressoir wine dinner: domaine leflaive montrachet

Edouard Bourgeois
March 18, 2026

It is 1:41am on this Tuesday March 17th, a date that has been on my calendar in big bold letters for months. Pink Floyd is playing in my headphones at home and I can’t go to bed just yet. I usually wait for the next morning to write my usual recap of the wine dinner but tonight, inspired by Gilmour’s dreamy guitar solos and the lingering taste of the world’s most prestigious white wine, I feel it is time to write my article.

Montrachet is rare. Montrachet from Domaine Leflaive is more than rare. You just never see these bottles. Tonight, we poured ten vintages.

I remember when Daniel first launched the idea. “Why don’t we do a Montrachet dinner?” You can guess my reaction... The initial thought was to feature Montrachet bottles from different producers. Instead, we first convinced Dominique Lafon to provide us with 13 vintages, back to 1986 for a dinner during La Paulee 2024. Spectacular, of course.

We then had to wait a couple more years for the stars to align until Brice de la Morandière agreed to release 10 vintages of Montrachet from the esteemed Domaine Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, the estate he’s been running since 2015, succeeding another legend, Anne-Claude Leflaive.

Leflaive’s three-hundred-year history and Chef Ripert’s three Michelin stars for twenty consecutive years made icons match. 

While preparing for this dinner, we asked Brice de la Morandière for his preference on when to open the bottles. To our surprise, he requested that the bottles be opened 4 hours prior. Frankly, I was puzzled by this decision, considering white Burgundy a fragile wine that should not be exposed to too much oxygen. My tasting notes below proved me wrong. A wine like Montrachet has so much to say and I realized that gentle aeration really help the wine unveil its unbelievable complexity.

Before I share my humble tasting notes, I need to mention that all the wines we served had in common to be spectacular. Grand Cru Burgundy, made well, share a common feature: incredible length. It was certainly the case tonight.

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 2018 : Immediately rich, expressing honey with a gentle reminder of the copious heat that year. It kept on evolving in the glass after a few hours. A young wine

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 2017: Compared to 2018, more sizzled and sharp. However, the extra year combined with the nature of a cooler vintage makes for a superb drinking experience. Fresh, lively with a delicate touch of almond.

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 2015: Power! Heat. But again, the terroir plays its magic because under the exuberant character hid a delicious accent of nougatine I always love in white Burgundy.

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 2014: intense nose. A highlight for me and I believe everyone else. A wine so complex, I was too distracted to take any tasting notes! Fun fact: Brice took over the domaine on April 2015, so he claimed having some winemaking influence in the 2014 (wink).

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 2013 : Described as “usually austere" by Brice during the dinner. However, this bottle showed no signs of shyness. The wine was very expressive and lush. I found a certain rusticity, a word that may be harsh to describe Montrachet. After a couple of hours, the wine became purely delicious and following back up on my notes, oxygen did so much good to this bottle.

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 2005: one has to perform the least. 2005 gave various results among white Burgundies. This bottle was no exception, offering a more advanced profile with aging notes suggesting butterscotch. However, the incredible length defined by this exceptional terroir remained evident.

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 2001: I will confess that I got concerned when I poured this wine as I saw the glasses fill with a liquid slightly darker than I was hoping for! Upon tasting it though, I was shocked by the liveliness and depth. Hints of white truffle on the nose and once again, the signature overwhelming length. You can taste the wines minutes after you tasted it. 

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 1999: Immediately striking and charming, sensual even. 1999 was for me, just like 2001, an astounding wine. 1999 is a magical vintage at Leflaive and coincides with Anne-Claude's prime time at the winery.

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 1998: More restraint even after 4 hours being open. It slowly woke up but remained a bit timid. It really opened up and bloomed after a good six hours. 

Domaine Leflaive, Montrachet 1994 : The last wine closes the show, a tough act. This 1994 surprised me. it was youthful with noted of sweet orange but also suggested a certain wisdom only bottle age help reach.  

Darren Waterston’s painting