2003 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

According to winemaker Pierre Morey, Domaine Leflaive did two separate ebourgeonnages in 2004 and carried out a third pass through the vines to reduce crop, yet still made the full permitted yields in 2004 (like most of their neighbors), even more than in 1999. "We couldn't imagine getting grapes that big," he told me. At the same time, the average level of malic acidity in 2004 was 4.22 grams per liter, compared to 1.28 in 2003-a vast difference. Tartaric acidity levels were virtually the same in both years. (The average pH of the post-fermentation '04s is 3.16, while it was a very high 3.57 for the 2003s.) Morey told me that he will keep the fine lees with the 2004s longer than usual to round them out, as he is worried that the relatively high acids will give the wines' finishes a dry edge. While only a minority of barrels had finished their malolactic fermentations, I was able to taste from those that had. Like a number of his colleagues, Morey advised serving the 2003s a bit colder than usual to mitigate their heaviness and alcohol-and with richer dishes than usual.

Domaine Leflaive starting harvesting on August 30, making this estate "about the last in the village to begin," according to winemaker Pierre Morey. We waited for the new moon on August 28 and for the end of the heat wave, so that we'd have better picking conditions. Earlier than this, the taste just wasn't there yet; the grape seeds were not yet ripe. "Morey noted that Leflaive used its sorting table to eliminate grapes that had been grilled by the sun. We only eliminated 2% to 4% of the grapes, but this was important for the taste of the wines. "Some acidification was done for the fermentations, but all of the malolactics were allowed to finish. Morey was still stirring the lees, but less frequently than usual. The plan in June was to bottle the wines before the winter, several months earlier than normal practice here. Morey maintained that the estate's biodynamic farming practices made a considerable difference during the very hot summer of 2003. For one thing, our vines have deeper roots," he said. With bio our vines have fewer leaves, but the leaves remain on the vines longer. " In 2003, this could potentially extend the ripening process while also protecting the fruit against the hot sun. ] I was impressed by several of the young 2003s but came away wondering if a few others possessed the depth of flavor to support their alcoholic power. (Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena CA