Leflaive's 2001 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru emerged as one of the real sleepers of this tasting, bursting from the glass with an expressive and botrytis-inflected bouquet that mingles scents of grilled peaches and confit citrus with nuances of barley sugar, petrol and freshly baked bread. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and enveloping, with excellent depth at the core, impressive vibrancy and a long, precise finish. Like the 2000 Chevalier, the more concentrated 2001 is in its plenitude of expression and makes for immensely pleasurable drinking, though readers with a lower tolerance for botrytis-derived exotica—something that, within limits, I tend to embrace as a facet of vintage expression—will like it less than I did. By the numbers, the 2001 boasts 13.66% alcohol and a pH of 3.40.

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