The 2009 Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres is at once brighter and flashier than the Clavoillons. I especially like the vibrant minerality here. Yellow stone fruits flesh out the mid-palate and finish nicely in this expressive, radiant wine that captures the essence of the year. Remy comments that he tends to use barrels with lower levels of toast for the Folatieres to compensate for the richness the fruit provides on its own. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. 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