Olivier Leflaive, a true "people person" of Puligny-Montrachet, built his winery on a foundation of hospitality and strong grower partnerships. His approach to Burgundy wine is convivial and generous, offering a diverse range of precise, terroir-driven wines that welcome both connoisseurs and newcomers alike.

Hospitality at the heart

Walk the tiny square of Puligny-Montrachet on a market morning and you’ll hear it before you see it: laughter rolling out of La Maison d’Olivier Leflaive, the family’s inn-restaurant that hums with corks, clinking glasses and stories. This is Olivier’s Burgundy—convivial, generous, un-stuffy. Long before “hospitality” became a buzzword, he made it the heart of his wine life.

A new path from a storied name

Olivier grew up in one of Puligny’s most storied clans, co-managing Domaine Leflaive in the early 1980s. But in 1984, he took an unusually human route for Burgundy royalty: start a separate house bearing his own name, not to trade on the past, but to widen the circle. He’d partner with growers he admired, make wines across the Côte de Beaune (and beyond), and keep the door open—literally—to anyone curious enough to step inside. The aim was simple, he’s said more than once: begin with great grapes, and let every cuvée speak for itself. That people-first, relationship-driven mindset remains the company’s north star today, with Olivier’s brother Patrick and a tight-knit team carrying the torch in Puligny’s center. 

"We set out to make great wines - and to keep the door open."

— Olivier Leflaive

What critics notice

What’s striking is how the house scaled its welcome without losing intimacy. The team now oversees the equivalent of scores of hectares (including estate parcels in Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault), yet the wines still read as precise and transparent—Puligny in a tailored jacket rather than a tux. Critics regularly note the finesse: Wine Spectator characterized the Puligny village bottling as “about finesse,” with apple, lemon and hazelnut riding vibrant structure and length; James Suckling has highlighted the harmony and seamlessness in recent vintages.

Exporting an open‑armed Burgundy

Internationally, Olivier’s philosophy translated easily: make the best possible wines from the places you love, price some bottles for the weekday table, and tell people the story over lunch. That balance—serious terroir with an open‑armed spirit—built a global following and deep distribution. It also gave Burgundy newcomers an on‑ramp: start with Les Sétilles or a Côte de Beaune village, climb to a precise Meursault or Puligny, then, perhaps, find yourself whispering over Folatières. 

Along the way, the brand experience—staying at the inn, tasting in the cellar, bumping into Olivier greeting guests—turns customers into advocates. The “human side of fine wine” isn’t a slogan here; it’s the operating system.

Wine is a Conversation

There’s a pleasing symmetry to the story. Puligny is a village defined by quiet excellence; Olivier Leflaive added a little music. The wines remain composed and articulate, but the way you encounter them—over a broad-shouldered glass, with a plate of local cheese and a laugh—feels wonderfully un-Burgundian, in the best way.

“Wine is a conversation,” Olivier likes to say by his actions if not in slogans. In Puligny, he made sure everyone has a seat at the table.

Olivier Leflaive wines marry Burgundian elegance with clear terroir identity. Fresh, focused, and long on the palate, they balance finesse and power. Sourced from 82 Climats, each cuvée expresses its origin with singular character.