Lucien Le Moine, Criots-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2012

Lucien Le Moine, Mounir and Rotem Saouma's small Beaune négociant, makes only Côte d'Or premiers and grands crus in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Rather than grapes, it buys wine from growers just after pressing, then handles the élevage itself, one to three barrels per cru. Barrels are coopered from Jupilles oak with a slow toast tuned to each cru. Reds and whites alike rest on all their lees, stirred often, are never racked or pumped, and keep the carbon dioxide from a late malolactic, with very little sulphur; bottling is unfined and unfiltered, and decanting is advised. Hedonism describes generous wines with a ripeness and fullness rare in the Côte d'Or.

Region

Burgundy – Côte d'Or (based in Beaune)

Owner

Mounir and Rotem Saouma

Vineyards

Buys newly pressed wine from growers' premier and grand cru sites

Grapes

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Wines

Premier and grand cru reds and whites, sometimes over 60 wines a vintage

Style

Long lees ageing without racking, low SO2, ripe and full-bodied

Website

https://www.lucienlemoine.com

Sources: lucienlemoine.com, hedonism.co.uk