2005 Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles

While 2005 marks the vintage when premature oxidation began to make extensive depredations in the Leflaive cellars, this bottle of the 2005 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles was actually quite reductive on opening, unfurling in the glass with notes of mandarin oil, wheat toast, pear and pastry cream as its gentle leesiness dissipated. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and quite textural, with chewy, almost phenolic extract and good length, nicely balanced in this sometimes-blowsy vintage. My only criticism would be that in personality this bottle seemed to nod more to Meursault than Puligny.

Ripe stone fruits and hazelnut on the nose. Quite rich, almost exotic, in the mouth, showing the ripe, fat side of vintage 2005. This is atypically rich for this cuvee Wonderfully layered wine but today I find more grip in the Combettes. This was great from cuve, notes Pierre Morey, but it has been more affected by the bottling than the estate's other premier crus. I'd give this at least four or five years to get organized.