Olivier Leflaive Pommard 1er Cru Pézérolles 2018 75cl.

The harvest is carried out entirely by hand at the optimal moment of phenolic ripeness. The grapes are collected in small perforated crates to prevent premature crushing of the berries. Upon arrival at the winery, a rigorous double sorting process is performed to discard any damaged or unripe grapes. The bunches are completely destemmed to remove the green stems or stalks that could contribute bitterness or herbaceous tannins. The whole grapes are then gravity-fed into open, temperature-controlled vats without breaking the skins. Before fermentation begins, the grape mass is kept at a low temperature for about 4 to 6 days. This cold maceration allows for a gentle and selective extraction of aromatic precursors from fresh fruit and color pigments in an aqueous medium, before the alcohol appears.

Fermentation is activated naturally with native yeasts. For 18 to 22 days, the temperature is meticulously controlled, reaching a peak of 30 to 32°C. Two extraction techniques are combined: punch-downs and pump-overs. Once fermentation is complete, the free-run wine is drawn off by gravity. The remaining skins undergo very gentle pneumatic pressing to obtain the press wine. Both are then statically settled for 24–48 hours to remove the coarser lees before maceration.

The wine is transferred to traditional 228-liter Burgundy barrels. During the following spring, malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously, transforming malic acid into lactic acid, which imparts a creamy texture. Aging continues between 16 and 17 months in French oak, using 30% to 33% new medium-toast barrels.

After aging, the selected barrels are blended in tanks to achieve homogeneity. Light clarification is carried out if the vintage requires it, avoiding aggressive filtration to preserve the wine's silky texture and vibrant character.