Here too there is very subtle wood highlighting an airy, ripe and expressive nose featuring orchard fruit and citrus blossom aromas and continues onto the detailed, punchy and admirably vibrant medium-bodied flavors that finish with moderate dryness and very good length. Again, fine quality here but not up to that of the 2005. Tasted: Jul 01, 2008 Score: 88-91 Drink: 2011+ Issue 31 Allen Meadows; Burghound

Pierre Morey, the domaine's régisseur (who will be retiring in July), told me that 2006 was a "vintage that began with a very cold and long winter. Frosts were common up to the middle of March and save for a few unseasonably warm days in February, it was one of the colder winters we have seen in recent years. In fact, the night December 30th we had temperatures of -15° C, which is brisk. There were showers but ultimately, so little of it accumulated that it was drier than usual and did nothing to top up the underlying water tables. March was damp, April varied and May was cool yet June and July were very hot. The flowering was quick and the fruit set was early and we had fully formed berries by mid-July. Unfortunately, August was both cool and humid though September turned out to be ideal with dry and sunny conditions. We began picking on September 20th and continued through the 27th. The ripeness levels climbed extremely rapidly at the end of the growing season so it was important to be in the right vineyard at the right time to avoid surmaturité. Sugars and cleanliness were good and yields were correct if not abundant. 2006 reminds me of 1986 just like 2005 reminds me of 1985. As such, the 2006 vintage gave us very good to excellent wines that should drink well over the medium-term." In other news, Morey told me that the domaine had acquired and replanted a .17 ha parcel of the Chassagne 1er "Maltroie" and the first harvest will be in 2008. And the in-bottle tastings of the 2005s confirmed that it is a great vintage chez Leflaive and in most cases, distinctly superior to their 2006 counterparts. Lastly, I have included a note here from Leflaive's new 9 ha domaine in the Mâconnais that is run by a cousin of director Anne-Claude Leflaive. The élevage is currently being done in Puligny in the old Chartron et Trebuchet facility. Note that the wines will be sold under the Domaine Joseph Leflaive label.