Vinous 93+

Bright medium yellow. Pungent aromas of citrus fruits, white peach and crushed stone. Sweet but with a light touch to its peach and lime flavors. Bright acidity gives this tightly wound wine lovely balance. Finishes chewy and dry, with considerable elegance. Shows the cru more than the vintage. [Stephen Tanzer, 09/01/2011]

Wine Advocate 94

The 2009 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet is dazzling from start to finish. Silky and seamless at first, the wine impresses for its impeccable balance and tons of class. Chalky, mineral notes appear later, adding length, freshness and verve, while floral notes add the last flourishes of elegance. This is all silk and cashmere, especially on the finish. The Bienvenues seems to hover on the palate, inhabiting in the stratosphere reserved for just a handful of the world’s truly great wines. Anticipated maturity: 2017+. Domaine Leflaive is one of the pioneers in biodynamic viticulture in Burgundy. The first experiments began in 1990 and by 1997 all of the vineyards had been converted to biodynamic farming. Winemaker Eric Remy describes the 2009 growing season in considerable detail. The winter was long but mild. The last frost occurred on March 23. Temperatures were normal until the last week of the month, when the weather turned warmer. Flowering began on May 22. The rest of the spring and summer were warm, while a big storm in mid-July dropped 8cm of rain. The rest of the summer was quite warm. The harvest began on September 5, about ten days earlier than normal. Average yields were around 45 hectoliters per hectare. The wines were aged for 12 months in oak followed by 6-8 months in steel. New oak ranged from 10% for the Bourgogne, 15% for the villages, 20% for the premier crus and 25% for the grand crus. The 2009s were bottled between April and June 2011. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661 [Antonio Galloni, 30/09/2011]

Anticipated maturity: 2017-0