Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru d'Auvenay (Domaine) 2011

Lot presentation

Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru d'Auvenay (Domaine) 2011

The wine

Criots-Bâtard Montrachet is the smallest of Bâtard-Montrachet’s three grand cru vineyards. Pale gold in colour, this wine darkens to yellow gold and develops an exceptionally powerful bouquet. It is rich and complex with aromas of lemon, butter, almond, honey, and spices. Wines from this cru have a characteristic intense creamy quality. Lalou-Bize Leroy has created one of the finest white wines in Burgundy here, with an elegant and distinguished style.

The Domaine d'Auvenay belongs to the charismatic Lalou Bize-Leroy, who is also at the head of the less famous Leroy domain in Meursault. Its Chardonnays are noted to be the best in the world and their prices reflect this success. Madame Bize-Leroy, an energetic lady in her seventies, is also a fervent subscriber of biodynamics. She is Henri Leroy's daughter, the founder of the Leroy winemerchants, who bought half of the DRC (Domaine de la Roumanée Conti) in 1942 . In 1950s, she took over Maison Leroy, which had an impressive stock of vintage wines. In 1974 she took over from her father and became the joint manager of the DRC with her cousin Aubert de Villaine. She had to step down from this position in 1992, but still owns 25% of the shares. While building up the Leroy domain with other quality parcels, she purchased a farm at Saint-Romain that was to become the Domaine d'Auvenay. Included under this name are also the parcels inherited from her father, which were bought between 1989 and 1995.