Olivier Leflaive: The Grapes of Burgundy & Champagne Wine Spectator Wine Seminar at Eden Roc Miami Beach

Photography by Nathan Valentine on February 22nd, 2020 in 2020 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One, Lifestyle

Bruce Sanderson & Franck Grux

Miami Beach, FL – February 22, 2020 – The Côte de Beaune produces some of the best white wines in the world – unequalled intensity, complexity and elegance. Nestled right in the middle of the appellation is Olivier Leflaive Frères; founded in 1717, the Leflaive family has been making wine in Puligny Montrachet for 18 generations. Olivier started his own winemaking business in 1984, after his American importer, Frederick Wildman & Sons, expressed interest in wines from Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet. At the time, the family estate didn’t have vines in either appellation or the capacity to vinify any more grapes. His business model was to buy grapes and must and then sell the wine prior to bottling, a revolutionary idea in Burgundy at the time. His brother, Patrick, joined the company as co-owner and thus Olivier Leflaive Frères was born. Always looking for new opportunities, Olivier partnered with Erick de Souza from Champagne de Souza to create Champagne Valentin Leflaive. They’ve created a new kind of growers Champagne with a Burgundian making the base wine and a Champenois creating the Champagne.

The one consistency in all of Olivier Leflaive’s project is the grape varietals. Whether it comes from the Côte de Beaune or the Côte des Blancs, chardonnay and pinot noir are the only grapes he ever uses. This seminar illustrated the diversity of the terroir in Burgundy and Champagne. Guests explored how each wine is an expression of the different soil characteristics of the appellation and the vineyard sites.