2016 Maison Leroy Bourgogne Blanc 750 ml

Direct From White Burgundy’s Grande Dame

The legendary Maison Leroy is home to what Robert Parker calls “the noblest and purest expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Burgundy.” Part-owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Lalou Bize-Leroy is the force behind Maison Leroy, which, Parker added, “stands virtually alone at the top of Burgundy’s quality hierarchy.” Her Grand Cru releases START at $1,500 per bottle, while Le Musigny, her rarest wine, will set you back a cool $5,000, at least. Madame Leroy approaches every wine she makes with the greatest care and attention to detail, which is why her 2016 Bourgogne Blanc offers pedigree far beyond its classification. Tightly wound and remarkably balanced with extraordinary depth, showing fresh pear, honeysuckle, and flint-stone minerality, our 480 bottles just arrived stateside, direct from Burgundy, in perfect condition and provenance. Shipping included on 2.

The Grande Dame of Burgundy is without question a perfectionist; no wonder that Lalou Bize-Leroy proudly wears the title of “Guardian of Great Wines.” Back in the 1980s, she championed the philosophy of biodynamics and low yields in the vineyards, and we remember well the scorn and ridicule she endured from her fellow Burgundians. Back then, Burgundy was a much more conservative wine region than it is today. Lalou Bize-Leroy shot across the bow of the winemakers of the region, calling them out for their overuse of fertilizers and pesticides and scolding them for their lazy winemaking and lackluster cellar work. Bize-Leroy led by example, too; her wines quickly rose to the highest echelon in quality—and price—in the Burgundian hierarchy.

Today, at 86 years of age, Lalou hasn’t missed a beat. Her once-unpopular ideas have now inspired a generation of winemakers not only in Burgundy but also throughout the entire wine world. Countless are the men and women who have studied her conscientious work and tried to craft their own wines with a nod towards her.

Everything on Maison Leroy’s 54 acres—mostly Premier and Grand Cru vineyards—is still done by hand. On Lalou Bize-Leroy’s watch, these vines have been manicured into the most visually beautiful vineyards in the region. She continues to practices biodynamic farming, as well as severe pruning and crop-thinning to maintain a maximum equilibrium of the grapes, resulting in incredibly low yields of extremely concentrated yet refined wines with a rare purity of fruit.

It’s not the least bit surprising that there isn’t a producer in Burgundy (outside of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) with more 99 and 100-point scores from Robert Parker. Parker says Leroy “stands virtually alone at the top of Burgundy’s quality hierarchy”—and the proof is in every bottle.

The 2016 Maison Leroy Bourgogne Blanc is a blend of estate grapes from Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Savigny les Beaune. The low yields, biodynamic farming, and overall perfectionism are exactly the same as you’ll find in Lalou’s Grand Crus—at a fraction of the price you’d pay for a Leroy village wine from Meursault or Puligny Montrachet. With incredible fruit purity and laser focus, the 2016 is more than a joy to drink, it’s an education in fine wine.