Olivier Leflaive, Pernand Vergelesses Rouge 2020

From a limestone terroir, this has a vibrant bouquet of wild strawberries and bright hedgerow fruits leading to a silky textured palate with refreshing cherry and dark plum flavours. A very appealing wine which will be lovely from release. Drink from 2023.

Olivier Leflaive needs little introduction for those who have followed Burgundy for some time. Olivier comanaged Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent through the 1980s and then with his cousin Anne-Claude in the early 1990s. It was at this time that he established Olivier Leflaive Frères. At the start he owned no vineyards, instead purchasing grapes from selected growers whilst vinifying, maturing and bottling on site. Quality was paramount. Olivier Leflaive has since acquired an enviable 15 hectares of vines across Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault. While the Grand Cru wines of Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet are extremely rare, the village and Premier Crus from Saint Aubin, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet are wonderful. The 2020 vintage is clearly a brilliant vintage for Olivier Leflaive with winemaker Franck Grux emphasising the freshness, energy and intensity of the wines.