Domaines Leflaive : Mâcon-Verzé 2023

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Mâcon-Verzé 2023 from Domaine Leflaive

Tasting

Colour
The wine displays a pale yellow hue, clear and luminous, with subtle green highlights.

Nose
Remarkably pure, the nose reveals an expressive bouquet in which aromas of fresh citrus, such as lemon and lemon zest, mingle with notes of white-fleshed fruit like crisp pear and peach. Delicate hints of white flowers intertwine with a mineral backbone evoking wet stone and chalk, enriched by subtle nuances of pastry and hazelnut.

Palate
Straight and precise, the palate offers a fine substance and a creamy texture, perfectly balanced by vibrant acidity. The wine stands out for its energy and tension, stretching into a long, fresh and mouth-watering finish underscored by noble bitter notes.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs beautifully with grilled fish or fish served in a light sauce, such as sea bass or trout. It is also an ideal match for a seafood platter, oysters, and fresh goat's or sheep's milk cheeses. It is equally enjoyable as an aperitif, alongside tapas, fish terrines or cold poultry.

Serving and cellaring

For optimal enjoyment, serve the Mâcon-Verzé 2023 at a temperature between 7 and 10°C. Immediately approachable and appealing in its youth, this wine also has the structure needed to develop gracefully in the cellar for a few years.

A lively white wine from the Mâconnais with lovely richness

The estate

The Leflaive family has been established in Puligny-Montrachet since 1717, but it was Joseph Leflaive who truly founded the estate and rebuilt it after the phylloxera crisis. Now headed by Brice de la Morandière, Domaine Leflaive is an essential benchmark in Burgundy. A true pioneer, the estate converted its entire vineyard to biodynamics as early as 1997, under the leadership of Anne-Claude Leflaive. Drawing on its historic roots in the Côte de Beaune, the domaine has extended its reach into the Mâconnais since 2004, bringing its pursuit of excellence and technical rigour to new terroirs to produce wines of exceptional purity.

The vineyard

The grapes for this cuvée come from 9.33 hectares of vines spread across five lieux-dits (Les Chênes, En Perret, Le Monté, Escolles and Les Muses) within the Mâcon-Verzé appellation. Planted on both slopes of a valley offering a wide variety of exposures and gradients, the vines thrive on clay-limestone soils. True to the estate's philosophy, all of these plots have been farmed according to the demanding principles of biodynamics since their acquisition, fostering soil vitality and an authentic expression of terroir.

The vintage

Unlike the following year, which was marked by particularly erratic and wet weather, the 2023 vintage stood out for its milder conditions, yielding a harvest considered generous and abundant in volume.

Winemaking and ageing

After hand harvesting, the grapes undergo a long, gentle pneumatic pressing directly in Verzé. The musts are then settled and transported daily to Puligny-Montrachet. The Mâcon-Verzé 2023 is fermented 78% in stainless steel tanks, 10% in wooden foudres and 12% in oak barrels (40% of them new). Ageing lasts 15 to 16 months, beginning with 10 months on the lees in the fermentation vessels, followed by racking and a further 6 months of maturation on fine lees in stainless steel tanks. The wine undergoes only minimal fining and, if necessary, a very light filtration.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay.