Olivier Leflaive Les Setilles 2005

Grape Type: 100% Chardonnay.

Vinification: Leflaive's wines are bought as fruit or on occasion as juice straight from the press. The cellar master, Franck Grux, has complete control over the vinification and aging. Each vintage benefits, as would any from a domaine, from a personalized approach, the primary goal being to maintain the authenticity of each appellation while respecting the terroir. Grux employs the the old Burgundian principle of cuvee ronde, which is the blending of wines from different yet complementary lots of the same appellation. It is the basis of the high quality and consistency of Olivier Leflaive's communal wines.

Bourgogne Blanc "Les Sétilles" comes from the flatter eastern vineyards of Meursault (60%) and Puligny-Montrachet (40%). Fermentation is carried out 60% in Allier and Vosges oak barrels (average of 10% new), the rest in small stainless tanks. After aging on the lees for 8-10 months, the lots are blended in stainless vats and allowed to settle. The wine is then fined to assist in the sedimentation of remaining deposits. The wine is generally bottled after 12 months, following light filtration.

Tasting Notes: Wonderfully pure Chardonnay nose. Steely and well-focused on the palate, with ample grace, medium body, and good length. The tinge of tropical fruit is a reflection of the extraordinary vintage. A wine of great pleasure in the short to medium term.

Food Match: scallops, salmon, quiche, fish, chicken.