It’s a damp and foggy morning when I arrive once again in the very quiet streets of Auxey-Duresses for my annual pilgrimage to taste the new Maison Leroy Collection. Last year Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy was in Monaco, so I’m looking forward to seeing and tasting with her again – on what happens to be her daughter’s birthday. Two dogs rush out to greet me eagerly – the 13-year-old black poodle Nine and five-year-old Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen Olga, both quickly quietening down once appeased with some gentle pats. Madame, meanwhile, stands behind them, as elegant and unassuming as ever.   Talking briefly about the state of the market, she repeats how the most important thing is the happiness of our clients. It was at the forefront of her mind when she decided on the wines in this year’s collection, which is dominated by the 2017 and 2018 vintages, with the oldest wine from 2011. It’s good to mix things up, she tells me. After last year’s extensive library release with a flurry of back-vintages, this year she wanted to give the youngsters a chance to shine.  She describes 2018 as a more complete vintage, there is more wine, more matière than 2017; nonetheless 2017 is more refined and delicate, somehow more approachable. We talk about what makes a “grand vin” and she says: “La qualité, c’est les rendements.” (“Quality, it’s the yield.”) Taking Aligoté as an example, she explains that she’ll rarely make as much as 20hl/ha for the Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay Aligoté – and for her that’s the limit for producing a high-quality wine. It is impossible to make a good Aligoté at 40hl/ha, she argues – and as she knows from tasting those watery, dilute wines. “I’d actually rather drink water,” she confesses. It’s no secret that her Aligoté is special: and Gilles Desprez (Bize-Leroy’s right-hand man) notes how he was once blown away by a bottle of 1999 D’Auvenay Aligoté served to him blind – a wine that those around the table all thought was a Grand Cru white.  There’s no better judge of a wine than blind tasting – as Bize-Leroy knows. To this day, she blind-tastes everything that makes its way into bottle under the Maison Leroy label. She was recently tasting some 2024s for the range and notes how it’s easy to find a great Nuits-Saint-Georges or Gevrey-Chambertin, but is too often disappointed with Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny – struggling to uncover wines in these villages that are worthy of the Leroy seal of approval.  Our tasting begins with the reds this year, starting with an array of 2018s, sampled from south to north, “dans le sens de la Côte” (along the Côte), before moving through the 2017s to a 2016, 2015, 2012 and, finally, the oldest wine in this year’s collection, a 2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges.  The whites include an appellation that she rarely tastes and one that almost never makes it into the range: Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc. The 2018 in this year’s collection, however, is special – a wine that you wouldn’t be a fool to call Corton-Charlemagne blind, she tells me. And (of course) Bize-Leroy is right: it is sumptuous, with a level of richness and density that far surpasses that of a mere “village”.  With air, it develops further, offering impressive complexity. Madame looks at Gilles: “It’s unfortunate we don’t have any Corton here to compare,” she says. Gilles confirms there isn’t any to hand while she considers the wine in front of her, before insisting – “Are you sure we don’t have any here?” The message is understood: Gilles says there may be some in another building and sets off to find it.   We keep chatting, tasting the 2018 Auxey-Duresses, a little shy after the 2018 Bourgogne Blanc (in her words: “the best Bourgogne Blanc we ever had”) and the superb Savigny. I ask if there are any wines she buys every year – an idea she’s fast to reject: she doesn’t have any contracts, each wine is selected purely on its quality in that specific vintage. I clarify that I meant if there were specific vineyards that she particularly likes, and finds herself buying year in, year out – and says that both Meursault Gouttes d’Or and Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot are certainly favourites, although it all comes down to how they taste.   Gilles comes back with an unmarked bottle, immediately recognisable by its shape as Domaine Leroy. He is out of breath (earning some teasing, but also having run up and down 200 stairs to retrieve the bottle in question). The wine – a 2018 Corton-Charlemagne from the property – is quickly opened and served. It is typical Leroy: the nose is slightly muted, with some reduction and the popcorn-like notes that you often find in Bize-Leroy’s whites. On the palate, this is what you call packed: I have rarely found such concentration in a Corton-Charlemagne, even in ripe vintages chez Leroy. Madame states that she thinks many would call this a red if served totally blind, given its “matière”. “This is a grand vin,” she says. She explains how special the plot is, at the top of the hill, above her Corton Renardes: “C’est un terroir à rouge.” (“It’s a red terroir.”)   Going back to the Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc seems like a pointless exercise after the Corton-Charlemagne – but is far from it. The Savigny has benefited from warming up and being open for an hour. In fact, it is far from ridiculous to compare it to its grander sibling. Indeed, Madame Bize-Leroy pauses over it, saying she finds the Savigny more balanced – the wine feeling beautifully layered, yet not heavy or dense. It is by far the best Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc I have had the chance to try and – as proven by this comparison – would rival most Corton-Charlemagne. Of course, the 2018 Domaine Leroy Corton-Charlemagne is a baby – a wine built to age that will need years before being approachable and Bize-Leroy herself confirms that it won’t be released anytime soon. It has everything to be an exceptional wine in the future, but the Savigny is the one to drink now.  This is my 10th year at FINE+RARE and it’s relationships like this one that define our business: having the chance to share a moment with one of Burgundy’s legendary winemakers, talking openly and honestly about two of her wines, is truly special. Some are fast to dismiss Maison Leroy as “just” Bize-Leroy’s négociant label, perhaps out of ignorance or lack of exposure to the range. I can’t pretend these wines are cheap, but I also can’t pretend that Madame Leroy is like other winemakers. Her nose is remarkable, her access far-reaching, and the resulting wines one-of-a-kind. I can only admire this 93-year-old woman, the way she describes her wines, her humbleness, not to mention the wines that carry her name.  Tasting the 2025 Maison Leroy Collection 2018 Bourgogne Blanc: Maison Leroy’s 2018 Bourgogne Blanc is extremely expressive. Almost exuberant on the nose, it shows concentration, toasted almonds, juicy blood orange and verbena. The palate is equally impressive – and I would be easy to mistake this for a very good Meursault blind. Similarly to its red counterpart, the wine has gained in depth on the palate since we last tasted it. It is lively and expressive, yet with a signature fatness that’s so enjoyable. Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy tells me she has rarely, if ever, had a Bourgogne Blanc of this calibre – and we can only agree at this stage! Drink 2025-2031. 2018 Meursault: The 2018 Meursault from Maison Leroy is less immediately expressive than the Bourgogne Blanc, tasted just before – but don’t let that deceive you. You can feel the tension and seriousness of this wine, with hints of flinty minerality on the nose. The palate is concentrated and refined, nicely balanced and nuanced, with a creamy complexity. Compared to its Bourgogne sibling, this is clearly of a different calibre – a more aristocratic wine with greater density. Although approachable now, it will benefit from another three to five years in the cellar to express its full potential. Drink 2027-2035. 2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc: Maison Leroy’s 2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc is packed on the nose. Lovely brioche notes are underwritten by bruised apple and brighter citrus fruit, with delicate touches of lemon blossom. As the wine aerates, it keeps building in density, with layer upon layer – making for a wine that is beautifully fleshy and inviting. On the palate, the wine is so immediately rich and profound – it would be impossible to call this a village wine blind. It has the signature richness of a Corton-Charlemagne, perfectly balanced between power and tension. This is by far the best Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc I have ever tasted and would be head and shoulders above most Corton-Charlemagne you can find on the market. This is drinking beautifully now but has everything to age effortlessly. Drink 2025-2040. 2018 Auxey-Duresses: Coming from a terroir that can sometime be a bit too flamboyant or invasive, Maison Leroy’s 2018 Auxey-Duresses feels very discreet after the Savigny-lès-Beaune. With notes of fresh almonds and a hint of reduction on the nose, this feels a bit muted. On the palate, the wine clearly has the concentration of the vintage, yet is quite elegant and restrained with a hint of white pepper. This is lovely but will need a few more years to be approachable. Drink 2028-2035. 2018 Bourgogne Rouge: Last tasted in February 2022, Leroy’s 2018 Bourgogne Rouge still displays a very charming, delicately perfumed nose that oscillates between dried rose petals and little red berries, but it seems to have gained in weight and density. It retains beautiful acidity balancing the concentration of the vintage, the finish is clean and vibrant. This is one of our favourite renditions of the cuvée in recent years, youthful and drinking beautifully now, this should keep evolving positively for another seven to 10 years. Drink 2025-2035. 2018 Monthélie: On the nose Maison Leroy’s 2018 Monthélie has beautiful notes of violets wrapped up in a mix of red and black berries, especially blackcurrant. Those very pure and delicate floral aromas carry through to the palate, accompanied by tannins that are very subtle, almost with a hint of sucrosity that makes one salivate. This is a very complete wine that outperforms in this warmer vintage: a wonderful expression of this terroir that, for me, displays the elegance of Volnay with a weightless mouth-feel. Drink 2027-2037. 2018 Volnay: Served just after the 2018 Monthélie, Maison Leroy’s 2018 Volnay has a slightly more discreet nose. It’s perfumed and all about finesse yet a bit shy at this stage. On the palate, there is good concentration and precision, but it does not provide the crunch and freshness that you’d expect at this stage. This is surely elegant and refined, but lacks that little twist that will surely come with a few more years in the cellar. Drink 2028-2040. 2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune: As with its white sibling, Maison Leroy’s 2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune could be mistaken for a Corton blind. It has such a concentrated, solar nose with a darker fruit profile. There’s density on the palate too, the wine fleshy and rich, but not heavy. It’s nicely balanced, with delicate tannin structure and a precise finish. It’s as juicy as it is approachable. Drink 2027-2037. 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin: This was one of the highlights of the 2022 Maison Leroy Collection when it was first released. The wine has retained all its depth, complexity and power, but has shut down a little bit. It is packed with dense dark cherries, hints of sweet spice and forest floor. On the palate the wine offers an enjoyable, mouth-coating, generous and balanced structure, yet the wine feels a bit muted compared to where it was three years ago. This is nonetheless offering a very long finish with fresher note lingering. This is surely a grand village Gevrey that will simply need to be forgotten in the cellar for a few years! Drink 2030-2040. 2017 Pommard: Maison Leroy’s 2017 Pommard speaks of its terroir, combining rich, brooding, ripe blackberry, with hints of blackcurrant and a touch of rusticity, lifted by the freshness and precision of the vintage. On the palate, it has a firm but delicate structure with chewy tannins that are both muscular and velvety. Tasted right after a flight of 2018s, this seems much more approachable (as is often the case with 2017s). The refreshing backbone of acidity drives through the core of the wine, lending a beautiful sappiness to the long finish. Drink 2025-2035. 2016 Santenay, Premier Cru, La Comme: Immediately expressive, Maison Leroy’s 2016 Santenay Premier Cru La Comme comes from this underrated terroir, on the southern border of Chassagne-Montrachet. The charming, multifaceted nose oscillates between raspberry and juicy cherry with a hint of liquorice. The wine is mouth-coating; you can feel the substance here, with a lovely texture that remains delicate and refined. This clearly shows the concentration of the vintage and its tiny yields, but it is all wrapped in a very elegant mouth-feel – creating a wine of great balance. It’s in such a lovely spot now that this is hard to spit out! Drink 2025-2035. 2015 Chorey-lès-Beaune: Packed on the nose, Maison Leroy’s 2015 Chorey-lès-Beaune is quite shy at first, but with a bit of swirling you start to notice how dense and saturated this wine is, with aromas of ripe blueberries, blackberries and a hint of spice (cinnamon maybe?). On the palate, it is concentrated with mouth-coating tannins and layers of berry fruit – raspberry, strawberry and blueberry. This has a lot to say and offer, with an impressively persistent finish, but will benefit from a few more years’ cellaring to reveal its full potential. Drink 2028-2040. 2012 Côte de Nuits Villages: Made with fruit from around Nuits-Saint-Georges and Corgoloin, Leroy’s 2012 Côte de Nuits Villages is always a bit backward on the nose and slightly austere. But it’s also elegant and delicate, the floral notes combining with tertiary notes. On the palate, this feels like it is in a slightly awkward phase, very dense with soft, integrated tannins yet somehow disjointed between the rich dark fruit and a tertiary character. I would leave this for a few more years before revisiting. Drink 2030-2040. 2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges: Finely perfumed, Leroy’s 2011 Nuits-Saint-Georges offers a delicate nose of mixed red berries supported by more earthy notes, some pot-pourri and a hint of spice. On the palate, it’s concentrated and charming, but with air opens further and shows its density, still youthful for a 14-year-old village wine. There’s a hint of rusticity towards the finish that makes one salivate. This is far from the austere expectation one may have for this combination of vintage and appellation. It’s not reached its drinking plateau but is perfectly approachable now. Drink 2025-2040. The new Maison Leroy collection will be released soon: you can see all the wines in the 2025 collection here. Please contact your Account Manager to register interest. 

Each year, our Buying + Partner Director Corentin Margier visits Maison Leroy in Auxey-Duresses to sample the new releases. Here, he reports on his tasting with “Lalou”, the legendary matriarch of the Leroy empire  

Ahead of the release of the 2025 Maison Leroy Collection, we visit Lalou Bize-Leroy to taste with the legendary matriarch and winemaker 

Lalou Bize-Leroy: a living legend – Burgundy’s matriarch 

Lalou Bize-Leroy: a living legend 

Each November, the wine world looks to Burgundy for the Hospices de Beaune auction. We dive into the history of this philanthropic institution, the domaine and the wines it produces

Explore the history of Burgundy’s Hotel-Dieu and Hospices de Beaune, its wine estate and the famous annual auction, the Vente des Vins

Your guide to the wines of the Hospices de Beaune

Everything you need to know about the Hospices de Beaune

No matter how many times you visit, a trip to Maison Leroy never loses its allure. Driving through the quiet streets of Auxey-Duresses, following the soft, chalky blue signs for Leroy that point the way, is always incongruous with the fame of this address. As we’ve written before, you won’t find the grandeur you’d expect from such an illustrious producer – Lalou Bize-Leroy, and her entire team, embodies a rare charm and down-to-earth character that you don’t expect.  I was there to taste the new collection – an occasion which is always remarkable, winding your way through an array of vintages and cuvées of both colours. Bize-Leroy only releases her négociant wines when she feels they are ready to drink, meaning the collection often includes both recent vintages and older wines stretching back 40 or even 50 years. No matter the age, each one has been selected by “Madame” herself, the matriarch with one of Burgundy’s best noses.  This year’s collection is notable for its youth – in all the right ways. Recent collections have included venerable bottles drawn from the property’s extensive cellars – offering a rare chance to taste flawlessly aged fine Burgundy, direct from the producer. This year’s line-up – of course – includes special vintages that will set cellar-hunters’ hearts aflutter, stunning Chardonnay from 1985 and ’79, as well as two reds from 1972, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Petits Monts and Echezeaux Grand Cru, which Gilles Desprez (Bize-Leroy’s right-hand man) highlighted as some of his personal stand-outs, showing amazing refinement and delicacy, despite their age.  Beyond these historied bottlings, however, you’ll find a selection of wines from the best recent vintages. For the reds, 2018 offers a rich and generous profile, approachable now yet with the depth of fruit to age; 2017 is a vintage of the moment, fully of juicy charm and bright acidity that is irresistible; while there are elegant 2015s and a concentrated 2016.  As for the whites, the 2018s are soft, round and welcoming Chardonnays that nevertheless have everything needed to age, while the thrilling, taut 2014s are just edging into their long drinking window. A similar year, 2010, with high acidity and beautiful balance shines in the line-up – and the vintage is among my favourites for whites.   Desprez notes what a pleasure it is to show these wines, offering a slightly different side to Burgundy for them. Of course, it’s perhaps reflective of current tastes – with a larger range of whites full of vibrant fruit and flinty minerality. For a man fortunate enough to taste more than his fair share of aged Burgundy, these wines are refreshing. While each release is ready for you to pull the cork on, these more youthful releases can also be aged (an excellent excuse to purchase more than one case, if you can, in our view). The line-up this year is really exciting, offering a real range of wines to appeal to all sorts of fine Burgundy drinkers.   We won’t pretend that wines of this level come cheap, but a visit to taste at Maison Leroy reinforces exactly why their name commands such demand. These wines provide a masterclass in fine Burgundy – each one so reflective of its terroir and vintage, archetypal expressions of Burgundian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Take the 1979 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Pucelles in this year’s collection, one of the handful of carefully chosen mature wines that feature. Tasting it in the morning, the nose was gorgeously expressive – pristine and mesmerising, yet took a full hour to open up on the palate. Tasting it later in the day, it was still gorgeous – exactly what aged Chardonnay should be – showing how good white Burgundy can be, and a bottle that I won’t be forgetting any time soon.  Highlights from the 2024 Maison Leroy collection 2017 Bourgogne Rouge, Maison Leroy: Offering all the freshness and juiciness that one can find in 2017 red Burgundies at present, this Bourgogne Rouge offers everything you’d want from regional Pinot Noir. It’s very expressive and youthful on the nose, driven by red berries and sour cherries. The palate is lively and offers immediate pleasure, with a nice, savoury, peppery finish that makes it dangerously enjoyable now. Lovely now, this should drink nicely for the next five to seven years. 1999 Bourgogne Rouge, Maison Leroy: It’s been a few years since we last had a chance to taste Maison Leroy’s 1999 Bourgogne Rouge, and it was very interesting to compare this cuvée with the Hommage à l’An 2000 that was re-released last year. By comparison, the 1999 feels like it is still in its teen-years, with a powerful and concentrated profile compared to its millennial cousin. On the nose, it takes a few minutes to open up, but it is understated, elegant Pinot showing some evolution, with wild berries paired with dried petals. On the palate, it is at first interestingly youthful, led by dark fruit. The tannins are powerful, and the concentration impressive. This is drinking beautifully now and should enter its prime drinking window in two to three years. A fantastic showing for a regional appellation! 2018 Chorey-lès-Beaune, Maison Leroy: The 2018 Chorey-lès-Beaune is very perfumed, exuberant with florals and redcurrants. Always livelier and more fruit-forward than Monthélie (especially in warmer vintages), this often-overlooked terroir offers a beautiful level of complexity. On the palate, crunchy red berry fruit and juicy tannins lead on to a beautiful saltiness towards the finish. Its acidity and freshness beautifully balance the richness of the vintage. This is lovely to drink now and should evolve nicely for the next five to seven years. 2016 Santenay, Maison Leroy: Deep purple in colour, the 2016 Santenay is beautifully restrained when compared to its 2017 and 2018 siblings in this line-up. The discreet nose is lovely, driven by red fruit. The tannins are silky, coating the mouth pleasingly. There’s almost a creaminess to the mid-palate. Concentrated and with superb density, this is drinking well now but will benefit from another few years’ cellaring to show its full potential, it should then evolve beautifully for another eight to 10 years given its concentration. 2015 Côte de Nuits Villages, Maison Leroy: Made with fruit from around Nuits-Saint-Georges and Corgoloin, this offers a more austere nose – but it’s a very elegant and subtle Pinot. On the palate, it’s beautifully concentrated, with polished tannins. It starts with rich dark fruit, and there’s lovely acidity on the mid-palate that leads to a long, savoury finish. This is beautifully approachable now and will age nicely for another seven to 10 years. 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin, Maison Leroy: Tasted just after its Côte de Nuits Villages cousin, the 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin offers a beautifully layered nose, aromatic yet serious. Its palate mirrors the profound nose, dense and concentrated with layer after layer of complexity – much more than one would expect for a village wine. Dark fruit evolves into more earthy and spicy notes, finishing on an almost floral finish. This is so subtle and delicate, a brilliant showing for a wine that can be drunk now but would be even more impressive after three to five extra years in the cellar. 2018 Bourgogne Blanc, Maison Leroy: This is aromatic and very expressive on the nose. The palate offers creamy lactic notes, and it’s got a beautiful texture and depth. It shows the ripness of the warm vintage, yet this is complemented by a backbone of minerality – balancing the rich weight of orchard fruit. Profound and lovely for a mere Bourgogne Blanc. 1998 Bourgogne Blanc, Maison Leroy: On the nose this is driven by citrus fruit. There is the slightest hint of pleasing oxidative tones, with richer fruit, yet not overly so – with the wine in pristine condition. It shows beautiful evolution on the palate, with honeysuckle notes and more exotic fruit – yet acidity that avoids risking any overly ripe or jammy character. A very delicate wine, this food to complement its evolved complexity. Drink in the next three years. 2019 Saint-Aubin, Maison Leroy: This is so fresh on the nose – full of white flowers and juicy white peach, it’s mineral, lovely and expressive. On the palate, however, there’s unexpected density and texture. This is super concentrated and youthful, yet also very enjoyable now – and one of those wines that will keep showing different facets with air, and long after you’ve swallowed a mouthful. This will need time to show its full potential, but is already glorious. 2019 Auxey-Duresses, Maison Leroy: This was our favourite in the line-up of 2019 and 2018s this year. Auxey-Duresses is a village that is often overlooked but that Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy masters. The nose is multilayered, showing riper notes than the Saint-Aubin, but more acidity too, and with a mouthcoating texture that almost feels weightier than the Meursault. This is very 2019, in the sense that it combines great richness and freshness. This is lovely and long, with a finish marked by creamy, lactic notes. Drink it now and over the next five to seven years. 2018 Meursault, Maison Leroy: This offers a dense nose packed with layers of complexity, yet it’s also very subtle and discreet. This will need a bit of time to fully show its character, as the layers peel back in bottle. With aeration, the wine unfurls with richer, riper stone-fruit notes. On the palate, there are hints of creamy, brioche-like notes, along with real density of fruit on the mid-palate – a rich and weighty wine. There’s a lovely long finish. If you can, give it another five to seven years in the cellar, as the wine is so tightly packed and concentrated that you may miss out (although it’s hard to resist now!). 2014 Chassagne-Montrachet, Premier Cru, Les Chenevottes, Maison Leroy: This is very expressive and fragrant on the nose. Still fresh and intense on both the nose and palate, this lively wine speaks of this brilliant white Burgundy vintage – and is only just entering its drinking window. It offers such a complete set of aromas from the rich, ripe notes of fresh fruit to more herbal, citrus notes, all driven by brilliant acidity and a hint of bitterness. Lovely – and one of our favourite whites in the collection this year. 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet, Premier Cru, Morgeot, Maison Leroy: This Morgeot has such a lovely nose, offering a mix of sweet apple and honey-flavoured candies. It is concentrated and powerful on the nose, mature yet still has a lot to say. On the palate, the acidity is striking from the moment the wine touches your tongue. It opens with fresh, mineral, crystalline notes, but this is immediately followed by a wave of ripe yellow fruit, and then some sweet spice which lifts the wine on towards its persistent finish. This is beautiful now and should stay in this zone for another five to seven years. 1979 Puligny-Montrachet, Premier Cru, Les Pucelles, Maison Leroy: With a beautiful golden colour, this is so impressive on the nose, with so much going on: honey, beeswax, frangipane, creamy and lactic notes, candied orange peel, crystallised fruit, it just keeps delivering on the nose. The palate seems a bit muted by comparison, when tasted just after opening – but after an hour or so you’ll find the same level of density and richness here too. All those aromas mingle together and melt into each other, yet there is a sense of harmony, with beautiful acidity throughout. The wine feels like there are so many layers and strands to it, but it is also so complete. Towards the finish, there is a certain salinity that drives the length of the wine, alongside those honeysuckle notes. A real delight that is approaching its prime though still has a lot to say! Drink now through to 2035. The 2024 Maison Leroy collection will be released soon, sign up to find out more, or read more about Maison Leroy and browse all current listings 

Ahead of the annual release from the fabled Maison Leroy, Buying + Partner Director Corentin Margier reports on his pilgrimage to this iconic address in Auxey-Duresses

Tasting the wines in the 2024 Maison Leroy collection – the latest releases from Lalou Bize-Leroy (of Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay)

Tasting the 2024 Maison Leroy collection

A masterclass in fine Burgundy: Maison Leroy

We caught up with Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy on all the latest developments at Domaine Leroy and discussed the 2019 vintage, which is set to be one of the lowest yields she has ever produced in the Côte de Beaune. There are some fantastic wines this year from both Domaine d’Auvenay and the Maison Leroy Collection, including a mixed vintage red, coming exclusively from vintages in the nineties, predominantly 1999, originally released to celebrate the millennium. On arriving in Burgundy we headed straight to Maison Leroy situated in the village of Auxey Duresses. There we met with Frédéric Roemer and Gilles Desprez (Lalou’s right-hand men) to taste the wines destined to be released as part of the Maison Leroy Collection later this month. The range this year is smaller than usual but what its lacks in volume it makes up for in quality as well as variety.
 The Maison Leroy Collection 2020 The wines as always were selected by Lalou, based on them all entering into their ideal drinking window with the youngest vintage of white being the 2012 Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru and a selection of reds from 2003 – Maranges, Aloxe Corton and Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru. Two exceptional non-vintage releases are also included in the collection this year, a mixed vintage white wine called “Fleurs de Vignes” and a mixed vintage red called “Hommage à l’An 2000”.  This marks just the second-ever release of “Fleurs de Vignes” (the first bottling of this blend was released in 2015) and is composed of three different vintages of Bourgogne Blanc blended with Puligny 1er Cru Champ Gain.  The “Hommage a L’An 2000”, is a unique Pinot Noir blended by Lalou, originally released in 2004 to celebrate the millennium, comprised of a mixture of Bourgogne Rouge cuvée and a number of unspecified village crus, all exclusively from vintages in the 90s with the majority of the wine coming from the 1999 vintage. This special bottling will come with a gold capsule and each bottle is individually numbered. NV Bourgogne Rouge “Hommage a l’An 2000”, Maison Leroy (2020 Release)
Complex nose with both fresh red berry fruit aromas complemented by more earthy, savoury, forest floor and dried cigar leaf notes. Lovely density on the palate with a broad fruit spectrum from candied red berry to savoury dried leather and animal notes. Very elegant on the finish and lots of vibrancy too. NV Bourgogne Blanc "Fleurs de Vignes”, Maison Leroy (2020 Release)
Superb nose, very expressive with aromas jumping from the glass; rich, yet retaining nice stony minerality. In the mouth, there is an explosion of flavours and a lovely creaminess in texture, progressively building on the palate. This is beautifully dense, lactic and mouthcoating, clearly punching above its classification. Sumptuous, precise and long length. This has to be one of the most impressive Bourgogne Blanc out there. Another highlight this year included the Volnay 1er Cru 1984, which although was one of the most difficult vintages in living memory, this wine was really stunning and a benchmark for the Volnay terroir. 
1984 Volnay 1er Cru, Maison Leroy (2020 Release)
There is a charming, elegant perfume to the nose, exuberant, opulent with rich wild strawberries, raspberry, kirsch notes, dried herbs and wild mushroom with a touch of rusticity too. The nose is hypnotic in its perfume and the palate is equally so. It has a very elegant mouthfeel as the fruit aromas continue to the palate and finish with a lovely salinity. This is
a wonderful wine, quite extraordinary. Prior to our visit to Domaine d’Auvenay, we had a quick opportunity to visit the Leroy cellars, an extraordinary collection of ageing bottles, awaiting release, including Batch 001 – the last remaining bottles of 1919 Auxey Duresses. These are the oldest Leroy bottles in existence in their cellar.
 Domaine d’Auvenay Domaine d’Auvenay, is a 20-minute drive from Maison Leroy based in the village of Saint Romain. Here we were greeted by Lalou and her two dogs Nine and Nais as well as a lunch with a few bottles from the latest selection of Domaine d’Auvenay wines also due to be released this month.  We were soon talking about the latest 2019 vintage and Lalou starts laughing about how stupidly low the yields were. The heat and drought of the vintage meant production was significantly down. In fact, the yields were some of the lowest she has ever seen! Most cuvees in 2019 at Domaine d’Auvenay amount to just 1 barrel of each. For the Criots Batard Montrachet she produced less than 100 litres! Despite the pitiful amounts produced, she is extremely happy with the quality and unbelievable concentration. Leroy and d’Auvenay’s vineyards remain incredibly easy to spot in the Cote d’Or due to her unique pruning methods. She wants to create the highest vines possible rather than hedging the vines which she believes stresses the vine too much and affects the pollination the following year.  Lalou admits the process is incredibly high maintenance and requires an extensive full-time viticultural staff to manage. She has up to 60 staff working for her during the season across Leroy and d’Auvenay. Whilst her neighbours have warmed to her philosophy (initially many thought she was crazy), few have followed suit, not being able to justify the running costs of such methods. Since the 90s Lalou has been carrying out analysis on her soils, conscious of the effects of her neighbours using chemicals as another viticultural shortcut. Fortunately, the results she has received shows that the impact from neighbouring plots on her own is marginal and her soils were in good shape and using biodynamic organic farming since establishing the domaine
in 1988 has seen the soils improve year after year. The whites we tried from Domaine d’Auvenay were the Meursault Narvaux 2009 which had an utterly captivating nose, so expressively full of toasted nuts, baked bread, white flowers and matched by a great texture both rich and creamy yet so mineral, so elegant, so precise. This was followed by the exceptional Meursault Gouttes d’Or 2007. The Gouttes d’Or is one of Lalou’s favourite terroirs and one of the most recognisable, stating it has this beautiful
alliance of freshness and richness, always retaining a vibrant backbone of acidity but enveloped by a rich, butter-like texture. These whites were followed by d’Auvenay’s epic Mazis Chambertin 2002: deceptively elegant and subtle on the nose and enormous on the palate. The breadth of the wine is stunning, mouthfilling supported by powerful yet utterly refined tannins. As you coax the glass, aromas of rich dark berries allied with an ethereal floral bouquet joint with freshly grounded coffee,
mocha, dark spices and a hint of wildness too. It's an emotional palate where flavours
come from all direction but there is a real sense of harmony with the complex flavours coming together in the glass. It has epic length and is just approachable now but possesses enough texture and weight to evolve for at least 20 years. Whilst tasting bottles of Domaine d’Auvenay is an unforgettable experience, the tasting was topped by a very rare bottle of Maison Leroy Auxey Duresses 1926. It turns out that this bottle was one of a case presented to the legendary Chef Paul Bocuse for his 50th birthday by Lalou in 1976. It was in fact the last bottles of the vintage from the estate. F+R came into possession of the bottle from an auction in Lyon following his death last year. We thought who better to share the bottle with than Lalou herself. 

Lalou started to recall 1926 was in fact a pretty difficult vintage and that very little wine was made that year. Yet on tasting the wine, it was extraordinary, really something quite exceptional. As we tasted the wine throughout the lunch it continued to evolve and improve rather than deteriorate. It was incredibly stable in that sense and multi-faceted, every time
you put your nose in the glass there were different aromas. It retained its structure right through the lunch and held up brilliantly against the d’Auvenay Mazis Chambertin 2002. It is also even more special since these Pinot Noir vines have since been replanted with Chardonnay vines and thus the wine has not been in existence since then. Today this vineyard produces Domaine d’Auvenay’s Auxey Duresses Les Clous Blanc. It was one of the original vineyards that belonged to her father and therefore one of the most treasured by Lalou. Asked about her favourite wine (surely a question on everyone’s lips!) she replied without hesitation “1955 Chambertin”. Asked why, she replied simply “because it is my favourite”. A fair enough response and typical of Lalou’s unpretentious approach when tasting these remarkable wines. She admits she really loves drinking aged white Burgundy and was keen to prove why during the now legendary tasting in 2018 where she opened white wines dating back to the 1940s and invited the world’s leading wine critics to the domaine.  She wanted to show them how aged white Burgundy should actually taste. She states that the whites from the 1940s were tasting 20-30 years younger than they were thanks to the quality of the wines and the perfect cellaring in the very humid cellars at Leroy. The incredibly stable temperature in the cellar further helps create wines of remarkable stability and ageing potential. Following the tasting, Antonio Galloni commented: “To say these are among the greatest wines I have ever tasted seems superficial.” Before leaving we discussed with Lalou the latest Maison Leroy Collection 2020 release, which she is very proud of. She still, to this day, hand-selects the wines herself. Courtiers bring her wines to try from every appellation and under no contracted obligation she simply picks the wines she feels are the best and represents each appellation most truthfully. Given how well the wines then go on to age at the Leroy cellars is proof of her abilities and the strength of her palate. With 65 years experience of in selecting wines for the Collection, her encyclopaedic knowledge of Burgundy makes her a true savant of the region. Browse all current Maison Leroy, Domaine Leroy and Domaine d'Auvenay listings

Back in Burgundy for our annual visit to Domaine Leroy, we selected what we will offer from the new Maison Leroy 2020 Collection. This year we were also able to taste some of the latest Domaine d’Auvenay releases as well as a rather special bottle of 1926 Auxey Duresses from Maison Leroy.

Exploring the Maison Leroy 2020 Collection and latest Domaine d’Auvenay releases on our team's annual visit to Domaine Leroy.

Visiting Domaine Leroy and d'Auvenay

Montrachet, Chambertin, Richebourg: these names will send chills down the spine of any Burgundy lover. But many of the Côte d’Or’s most famous domaines are looking beyond these grand names, making wines from vineyards and appellations that might otherwise fly under the radar. With reputations at stake, the likes of Domaine d’Auvenay, Coche-Dury and Bizot put as much effort and care into these “lowly” wines as for their Grands Crus. Quality in these appellations is soaring – with better vine material, cooler sites that are benefitting from the warming climate, not to mention better winemaking and know-how all contributing. Here we offer a guide to just a handful of the treasures to be found in Burgundy if you look a bit further afield. Auxey-Duresses Right in the middle of the Côte de Beaune, Auxey-Duresses is a small, sleepy village situated above Meursault. Prior to AC regulations, the white wines of Auxey-Duresses were sold as Meursault and the Pinots sold as Pommard or Volnay. While probably better known for Pinot Noir production, some of its top wines are Chardonnays made in a specific part of the appellation directly bordering Meursault.  Here, high up on the hill, over the brow of Meursault’s highest vineyards you will find vineyards facing unusually north-west. While these vineyards are too cool to adequately ripen Pinot Noir, they have proven to be a great climate for Chardonnay, particularly in today’s warming climate. In a warm vintage, the whites can give the top Meursault vineyards a run for their money. Domaine Leroy, one of Burgundy’s most eminent estates run by Madam Lalou Bize-Leroy, has holdings in this part of Auxey-Duresses in Les Lavières, while Domaine d’Auvenay also regularly produces an Auxey-Duresses Blanc on this particular northwest-facing slope from the vineyards of La Macabrée and Les Boutonniers. Depending on volumes D’Auvenay can produce three separate Auxey-Duresses Blanc cuvées in one vintage or if volumes are down will blend into one. While these are expensive options, the quality is undoubtedly there and this is a great lesser-known spot in the Côte d’Or to source outstanding Chardonnay, particularly in warmer vintages.  Domaine Roulot, Olivier Leflaive and a Jasper Morris MW favourite Domaine Diconne (which has vines dating back to 1924) also produce excellent Auxey-Duresses Blanc on these slopes adjacent to Meursault. While stricter in style than their neighbours, they remain fantastic value. For reds, Domaine Comte Armand’s Premier Cru Auxey-Duresses is another great buy. Made from two complimentary Premier Cru sites – La Duresses (whose brown clay soil brings density and tannic structure) and Les Breterins (on lighter soil bringing fruitiness) combine to make a fabulous Auxey-Duresses well worth discovering. Monthélie Next door to Auxey-Duresses, sandwiched in between Meursault and Volnay, is another lesser-known appellation which has an impressive line-up of producers on its roster. Comtes Lafon, Coche-Dury, Philippe Pacalet, Domaine Roulot and Leroy all produce Pinot Noir from this little, oft-forgotten appellation.  Monthélie is actually one of Bize-Leroy’s favourite appellations for her Maison Leroy selection. Historically, Monthélie tended to produce Gamay more than Pinot Noir, but that is not the case today. While the village wines tend to be a little lean and err too far towards vegetal flavours, the Premiers Crus within the appellation deserve much more attention. Domaine Coche-Dury produces a Premier Cru Les Barbières, while Comtes Lafon’s Premier Cru is in Les Champs Fulliot.  Both have full south exposure, enabling the wines to ripen fully even at higher Hautes-Côtes-like altitudes. In the warmer vintages, you could be justly rewarded for sourcing wines from this under-appreciated little corner of Burgundy. Monthélie is also home to Domaine Potinet-Ampeau, whose collection of older bottlings can wow the senses, provides a fascinating and educational insight into mature Burgundy. Pernand-Vergelesses Few Chardonnay appellations in the Côte d’Or are as underrated as Pernand-Vergelesses. Proximity to Corton-Charlemagne makes this unsurprising. This winemaking enclave, tucked behind the hill of Corton, has long been a consistent appellation where you find outstanding quality at a fantastic price.  While consistent in quality, it is often inconsistent in quantity due to its position between two rising hills. The lay of the land produces natural airflow that attracts hailstorms and is also susceptible to frost as cold air sits in this natural pocket of vineyards. If the region escapes these climatic perils, the Chardonnays are linear and have a flinty, mineral character. The wines can age well, gaining richness as they mature. A top producer of particular note is Domaine Rapet – of whom Wine Advocate critic William Kelley recently noted, “It’s a mystery these wines are not better known or distributed.” Being the biggest landowner of Corton-Charlemagne, they are one of the region’s most consistent white wine producers. Domaine Chandon de Brailles (based in Savigny-lès-Beaune) is also widely recognised for producing the best Pinot Noir in the appellation.  Their Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Ile de Vergelesses regularly competes with top Pinot Noirs made in the more famous appellations and is often described as one of Burgundy’s bargains given the quality. Other better-known producers such as Dugat-Py and a more recent purchase in 2012 by Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet (one of the world’s top Chardonnay producers) – testify to the quality found here. Perennial FINE+RARE favourite, Domaine Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot, also produce outstanding Chardonnay from Pernand-Vergelesses. Morey-Saint-Denis While Morey-Saint-Denis can hardly be described as under the radar, it continues to be undervalued amongst its neighbours despite its obvious pedigree. Morey-Saint-Denis’s prime location in the Côte d’Or sandwiched between Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny, for some reason – despite being home to five Grands Crus (Clos de la Roche, Clos de Tart, Bonnes Mares, Clos des Lambrays and Clos St Denis) – never gets the same limelight as either of its neighbours.  It’s possible to blame the autonomous nomenclature of its Grands Crus – with only Clos St Denis having a clear link to the village. It has meant that Morey-Saint-Denis as an appellation is seen as somewhat lesser in quality than its neighbours. Another reason might be that, like Auxey-Duresses, before the AC regulations came into play, the wines of Morey-Saint-Denis were either sold as Gevrey-Chambertin or Chambolle-Musigny.  Outside the Grands Crus, our excellent recent discovery is Domaine René Bouvier. Their  Morey-Saint-Denis En la Rue de Vergy is a simply stunning Pinot Noir no matter where it is from. While only classified as village, this vineyard is surrounded by Morey-Saint-Denis’s most illustrious Grands Crus – Clos des Lambrays, Clos de Tart and Bonnes-Mares – on the border with Chambolle-Musigny. In a sunny vintage, this cooler site has excelled and remains one of the great value-buys of 2019. Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge It is not simply lesser-known appellations that get missed. While its Chardonnays get all the attention today, Chassagne-Montrachet was historically a Pinot Noir appellation (as was Meursault). Today, Pinot Noir only represents about 20% of production within the Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, but until the 1960s, the appellation was dominated by the red grape. Some of the top Pinot Noir sites here were judged to be as good as Musigny, Clos de la Roche and Clos de Tart. Today Chardonnay is the better variety in the village, but there are still top examples of Pinot Noir to be found – often at a great price for the quality. The red wines from the Clos Saint Jean Premier Cru are often described as a unique expression of Pinot Noir – a wine of fantastic finesse, quite at odds with the appellation’s reputation for robust reds. It is arguably the finest site for red wine in Chassagne-Montrachet. Jean-Claude Ramonet produces a top example and Premier Cru La Boudriotte is also great, if not a little leaner in style. Marsannay Most Burgundy buyers rarely explore further north than Gevrey-Chambertin in search of the next big thing, but all indications point in that direction. Marsannay was only given appellation contrôlée status in 1987, encompassing three districts of Chenôve (on the outskirts of Dijon’s urban sprawl), Marsannay La Côte and Couchey.  Unique to the appellations of Burgundy, Marsannay can produce a rosé wine from Pinot Noir.  The foundation for the village’s reputation, many vineyards within the appellation are dedicated exclusively to rosé production. If a red wine is made in these vineyards, it must be declassified to Bourgogne Rouge). While Sylvain Pataille and René Bouvier make the most serious and age-worthy rosés in the appellation, the whites and reds are arguably the most exciting development in recent times. The village of Marsannay is arguably producing the best Pinot Noir for the money in the whole of Burgundy. Cult producers such as Domaine Bizot with Jean-Yves Bizot’s Marsannay Clos du Roy and his Bourgogne Le Chapitre, situated just south of Dijon, are already on aficionado's radars.  These wines are made in tiny quantities and has only further increased the collectability of these wines made in a distinct style (100% whole-bunch fermentations and zero sulphur additions). If sourcing Bizot wines is too painstaking and out of one’s budget, there are plenty of other exceptional growers in this region. Domaine Audoin is producing outstanding Premier Cru Marsannay that can compete with some of the top Gevrey bottlings and the wines still remain fantastic value. Domaine René Bouvier also makes exceptional wines from Marsannay. Côte Chalonnaise: Givry, Montagny and Rully Outside the Côte d’Or, to the south in the Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey dominates the limelight compared to neighbouring appellations Rully, Montagny and Givry. When handled correctly, however, Givry, can produce fantastic, powerful Pinot Noir that also offers finesse. Rully and Montagny are also a great source of Chardonnay and remain outstanding value.  Montagny only produces Chardonnay – the top producers being Domaine Stéphane Aladame, Domaine Bruno Lorenzon and Domaine Maxime Cottenceau. Rully produces white and red, but the domaine's Chardonnay represents one of Burgundy’s best-value white wines. Producers worth looking out for include Domaine Jaeger-Defaix and Domaine Vincent Dureuil-Janthial. Domaine Joblot is the leading producer in Givry. Their wines consistently compete with those in the Côte d’Or, a beacon for the appellation’s reputation, yet remain sensibly priced. Of the estate’s 14 hectares, nine are Premier Cru, including some of the village’s finest plots such as Clos de la Servoisine and Cellier aux Moines.  L’Empreinte –  a blend of their four red Premier Cru sites (Clos de la Servoisine, Cellier  aux Moines,  Clos  Marole  and  Les Bois  Chevaux – is the property’s top wine. The white, Cuvée Mademoiselle, is a blend of  their  older-vine  Premier Cru  Chardonnay from  En  Veau  and  Clos de la  Servoisine. Joblot is rightfully praised by the likes of Clive Coates MW,  Robert Parker, Allen Meadows and Jasper Morris MW for being the leading address in Givry and one of the greatest estates in Burgundy. Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Situated over the brow of the main Côte d’Or slope and further to the west are the vineyards classified as the Hautes-Côtes (the higher slopes) of the Côte de Nuits. Typically around 100 metres higher in altitude, only the southwest and southeast slopes are warm enough to ripen grapes, but geologically parts of the region are identical to the Côte d’Or.  With warmer vintages, quality here is greatly improving and you can find some outstanding wines at a great price. Two top examples of this come from Vosne-Romanée’s Domaine Gros Frère & Sœur and Domaine David Duband. Both estates have invested heavily in the region believing in the potential of these cooler sites in a warming climate. Aubert de Villaine’s Domaine de la Romanée-Conti also produces an Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Blanc, from grapes grown on the slopes below the historic Abbaye de Saint Vivant. Browse all Burgundy listings or read more Editorial

While the Grands Crus and top villages steal the headlines, often with eye-watering pricing to match, there is so much more to discover in the Côte d’Or. We explore a few of the lesser-known appellations being exploited by some of Burgundy’s grandest producers

lesser-known, best vlue wine appellations of the Côte d’Or: Auxey-Duresses, Monthélie, Pernand-Vergelesses, Marsannay, Côte Chalonnaise: Givry, Montagny Rully

Wine discoveries off the beaten track in Burgundy

Off the beaten track in Burgundy

2022 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Charles van Canneyt The grapes for Charles van Canneyt’s Bourgogne come exclusively from the Côte d’Or this year. It is fresh, floral, elegant and crisp on the nose, while the palate feels light and crystalline. There’s bright acidity, a round structure, gentle white fruit and a touch of lemon peel, with a long persistent finish. This is easy-drinking Bourgogne which will be enjoyable young, but will age gracefully over the next few years. 2022 Bourgogne Rouge, Domaine Charles Audoin This wine is already bottled and is astoundingly good-value. Audoin doesn’t own any Bourgogne vines, so this is made exclusively with declassified Marsannay fruit, sourced from part of Longeroies (where he also makes a single-vineyard Marsannay), Herbues, Champagne Haute, Champs Forey and Es Chezots. Aged in larger, 500-litre oak, the wine is irresistibly juicy. The nose entices with sweet and dainty red berry fruit, revealing more delicate florals and crushed minerals with air. Pure and vibrant with a savoury, pleasingly bitter note to the finish. Stock up on this and you won’t regret it – astonishing value. 2022 Chambolle-Musigny, Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Hudelot-Noëllat’s village Chambolle is a blend of 11 parcels around the appellation to provide a true expression of the village as a whole. Charles van Canneyt’s light touch works well with the vintage, creating a classical Chambolle-Musigny. Full of floral lift and delicate aromatics, this is Pinot Noir that pirouettes. But there’s plenty of muscle behind it, with creamy richness and a crunchy, red-fruited persistence to the palate. With a mouth-watering finish, it’s beautifully balanced. 2022 Bourgogne Blanc, Henri Boillot Henri Boillot’s Bourgogne Blanc is made with mainly declassified fruit from the villages of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Romain and Auxey-Duresses. Combine that with this domaine’s skill and you get a superlative wine (especially for the price) – and particularly in 2022. Henri Boillot feels it’s the Auxey-Duresses fruit that bring the wine such energy – with incredible drive and zingy acidity that almost revs the fruit. The nose is pithy, with citrus lift and a honeyed edge, tight at this youthful stage, like the concentrated palate. Long with a mouth-watering, saline finish, this is unbeatable value. 2022 Mazis-Chambertin, Grand Cru, Domaine Tortochot The Mazis-Chambertin was a highlight in the Tortochot line-up this year. With around two-thirds new oak, it’s a wonderfully sleek Grand Cru. Polished, bright red-berry fruit dominates the nose, but there’s also a savoury edge and crushed-rock character. The tannins are glossy and smooth, with pleasing freshness. While incredibly approachable now, this has the balance and concentration to age. 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis, Premier Cru, Les Millandes, Domaine Heresztyn-Mazzini Les Millandes sits below Clos de la Roche – and is always a favourite in the line-up at Heresztyn-Mazzini, whose vines here are at least 70 years old. In 2022, Florence Heresztyn decided to do a lighter green-harvest on this plot, to avoid a wine that was too powerful, with around 80% whole-bunch fermentation and a lighter toast for the 30% new oak for its élevage. The result is delicious. The nose is intoxicating – with pepper spice, dark fruit and scented florals. There’s a swathe of chalky, velvet, almost nubuck, tannins that cloak the core of dark fruit, all refreshed by wave after wave of mouth-watering acidity. You’re left with delicate florals, lingering long on the tongue 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune, Premier Cru, Les Serpentières, Jean Marc & Hugues Pavelot Pavelot’s vines in Les Serpentières average around 60 years in age. The wine has always been in the line-up, but until 2022, Hugues Pavelot had just 0.17 hectares – now he has over a hectare, all in the northern part of the vineyard, which generally produces a wine of finesse. It’s particularly true in 2022, with the wine a more delicate, floral and transparent expression of Savigny-lès-Beaune. Bright redcurrant and raspberry fruit fills the core of the palate, framed by grippy tannins and building to a long, mineral finish.   2022 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Louis Auguste, Domaine David Duband This wine, named in honour of David’s son, Louis Auguste, comes from higher-altitude sites and some of the domaine’s oldest vines (over 55 years in age). The 2022 is dark-fruited, high-toned and with a ripe, sweet nose. The palate is fresh – awash with a blur of black and red berries, and a more precise, chalky note that dominates the finish. 2022 Bourgogne Rouge, Jean-Marie Fourrier The fruit for Jean-Marie Fourrier’s Bourgogne Rouge all comes from the Côte de Nuits – and that shows in the quality of this impressive wine, which is an outstanding introduction to the producer’s style. Aromatic and bright, this is chock-full of crunchy, pure raspberry and cherry fruit – mouth-wateringly juicy and effortlessly balanced. 2022 Saint-Aubin, Premier Cru, Le Charmois, Au Pied du Mont Chauve Coming from a terroir neighbouring En Pimont (another of Au Pied du Mont Chauve’s sites), this east-facing vineyard is opposite En Remilly, on the other side of the combe. This terroir always retains lovely freshness thanks to its higher altitude, and this is particularly true in 2022. The Charmois spent 18 months on lees, including 10 months in oak. It has a very perfumed and expressive nose, with notes ranging from ripe peach to white flowers. The wine has great body, complex and fruit-driven with lively acidity that makes for a crisp finish. This should be approachable immediately but has enough acidity to age for at least 10-15 years. 2022 Coteaux Bourguignons, L’Eclos des Abeilles, Domaine de Bellene This wine is once again excellent for what is “just” a Coteaux Bourguignons, rivalling some top village appellations. The fruit for this cuvée comes from cooler vineyards on the limits of the Bourgogne appellation in Nantoux (where the vines are 80 years old), Saint-Romain and Nuits-Saint-Georges, classified as Coteaux Bourguignons (an appellation more often associated with reds). Honeyed, fresh and round, it has bright citrus and orange peel notes, with vibrant acidity and a long, mouth-watering finish. This absolute favourite will be delicious young, but also evolve nicely over the next six to eight years. There is around 15% new oak here. Drink 2024-2032. 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis, Premier Cru, Les Sorbès, Domaine George Lignier Benoît Stehly already had 0.19 hectares of this vineyard just in front of the village cemetery, but it has historically gone into his Premier Cru blend. As of 2022, however, he has another 0.19-hectare plot and bottled the cuvée separately for the first time, making four barrels. It’s gorgeous – with a bright, tart-fruited intensity on the nose. The palate is lush with raspberry and cherry – the fruit of impressive purity. Velveteen tannins frame the fruit, while the long finish offers a savoury, smoky note.

The grandest names in the Côte d’Or might be the most desirable – but there’s much more to the region beyond the very top appellations. Here we highlight the wines that we think offer the best value in 2022

Discover the best-value wines from our tastings of the Burgundy 2022 vintage so far – from up and down the Cote d’Or

The best-value wines in Burgundy 2022

Burgundy 2022: top-value buys

Lalou Bize-Leroy is one of the wine industry’s legends – but you wouldn’t know it meeting her. 
The slim 90-year-old flings open the door of her Auxey-Duresses estate to greet me open-armed, her two dogs running out to say hello as she gushes over the flowers I’ve brought her. Just as we commented after our visit last year, despite making some of the region’s finest (and most sought-after) wines, there is nothing grandiose about Leroy – here you are treated like family. 
The reason for my visit, of course, is to taste the 2023 collection from Bize-Leroy’s négociant arm, Maison Leroy. This label is the most affordable entry-point and window into Leroy’s empire – with the rare wines of Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay almost impossible to get your hands on. 
Although the Leroy family has owned vines for centuries, the family’s reputation was built on its négociant bottlings – with the operation dating back to 1868, when it was established by François Leroy (Lalou Bize-Leroy’s great-grandfather). While Bize-Leroy’s father Henri focused on Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (purchasing a 50% stake in 1942), Bize-Leroy joined the family business in 1955 and developed the négociant. It is only under her tenure that the company really flourished and became known for offering the very best of the best. Over almost 70 years, she has built and shaped both the Leroy reputation, and that of Burgundy as a whole. 
The négociant project is a massive undertaking, with Bize-Leroy tasting hundreds of wines blind each year en primeur. She will know the appellation but not the grower/producer, and picks only the very best to be bottled under her family name, looking for the most typical examples, with the most beautiful definition. She is known for her incredible palate and, given her position in the region, has unrivalled access to the very best vineyards – the combination makes for négociant wines of unusual pedigree. 
The wines are then matured in the Leroy cellars, released to the world only when she deems them ready. It’s particularly important to Bize-Leroy that the wines are sold only when ready to drink – feeling that far too many wines today are consumed too young, wastefully consumed when they haven’t realised their full potential. “Waiting,” she says, “makes all the difference.” 
She talks about the Maison wines as if they’re her children, with an affection and care that is hard to describe – but makes sense given the personal relationship she has with each and every wine selected. 
The 2023 release focuses on vintages ending in three – including a host of vintages that she feels are under-rated and misunderstood. Starting with the 1983, she notes how the reds were rustic at first – with massive tannins, but the acidity was there, and the best wines have length, subtlety and a sense of completeness that is rare. 
“Everything has been written about 2003,” she tells me of this infamous year. Despite the year being known for its hot conditions – with then unheard-of temperatures and a record-breaking early harvest – she secured lots of the wines, finding that they had “une petite côté de tendresse”, showing a tenderness that was enchanting. The 2003 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Ratausses that we taste shows this beautifully; Bize-Leroy describes it as “adorable”, which is hard to disagree with – sweet-fruited yet dainty and with a freshness that you wouldn’t expect of this warm year. 
 The 2013 vintage might not have been great for red Burgundy, with wines that were hard to taste in their youth with their tannin levels, but there are some wines “drinking beautifully now” in Bize-Leroy’s view. And this is something that I’ve seen time and again recently, with many bottles from this “off-vintage” really impressing over the last couple of years. 
As for the whites, the 1993 Meursault Perrières unashamedly stole the show. As Bize-Leroy said, it’s “une pure petite merveille” (literally “a pure little marvel”): this incredible Chardonnay kept evolving in the glass, offering such complexity that it is almost impossible to capture in words. Endless facets revealed themselves, with florals, fruit and the nutty tones from its age and a creaminess that drove a long, mouth-watering finish. Returning to the glass after five minutes, there’s a whole new layer that has opened up. It was stunning. 
Comparing a 2018 Auxey-Duresses and 2017 Meursault was a treat – the Auxey-Duresses taking more time to unravel in the glass, its delicacy needing air to emerge, while the tension of the 2017 offered more immediate pleasure. Although Bize-Leroy favours the Auxey, the Meursault won me over – a wine that made me smile with its sheer joy. 
Even for us, it’s rare to get the chance to re-taste these wines, so it was a particular treat to revisit her Bourgogne Blanc Fleurs de Vignes. This magical multi-vintage blend was first released in 2013, with the aim to craft the “ultimate Bourgogne Blanc”, partly due to the low volumes of Bourgogne made in the early 2010s. Combining Premier Cru Puligny-Montrachet (Champ Gain) fruit with village and regional plots from the vintages between 2008 and 2011, it’s an extraordinary wine that is gaining in complexity exponentially.
 Tasting with Bize-Leroy is a special experience. She’s precise in the way she tastes and talks about the wines, each word carefully considered and deliberate –that sense of familial pride shining through as she presents these newborns to the world. Once we’ve tasted, it’s on to lunch – a low-key affair, choucroute, elevated by the rest of the 2017 Meursault, for first and foremost Bize-Leroy crafts wines to be enjoyed at the table – and what wines they are.  
Read more about Maison Leroy and browse all current listings 


With the 2023 releases from Maison Leroy around the corner, Buying + Partner Director Corentin Margier reports on his tasting with the inimitable Lalou Bize-Leroy and how this winemaker has shaped Burgundy today

Tasting the 2023 Maison Leroy collection with Domaine Leroy and D’Auvenay’s winemaker Lalou Bize-Leroy – a woman that has shaped Burgundy today

Talking to Lalou Bize-Leroy

The tastemaker: Lalou Bize-Leroy

Burgundy is a mecca for lovers of fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but, with its litany of producers and vineyards, it can be a tricky region to get to grips with. Here we offer an essential guide to the region – breaking down everything from how vineyards are classified to producers to look out for

Discover everything you need to know about Burgundy: from vineyards and producers to the difference between négociant and domaine or what a Grand Cru is

Your essential guide to Burgundy wine

Your essential guide to Burgundy

Les Duresses (Monthelie)

Monthelie Premier Cru

Monthelie

Côte de Beaune

Burgundy

France

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Les Duresses (Monthelie)

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