Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet is the smallest grand cru in the Côte de Beaune, well under two hectares in total, which makes it one of the rarest white wines in the world before anything is said about how it tastes.
Tasting Notes
An opulent bouquet of white flowers, citrus and hazelnut, leading to a rich and voluptuous palate. It shares the breadth of its neighbour Bâtard but carries it with more delicacy and lift, which is the distinction the appellation exists to mark. The entire vineyard lies within Chassagne-Montrachet and total annual production across all owners amounts to only a few thousand bottles.
Quick Facts
- Grape: 100% Chardonnay
- Origin: France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Chassagne-Montrachet
- Style: Dry white, Grand Cru, rich yet fine, age worthy
- Viticulture: Certified organic and biodynamic
- Vineyard: Under two hectares, the smallest grand cru of the Côte de Beaune, entirely within Chassagne-Montrachet
Food Pairing
Lobster, scallops, turbot, poultry in cream sauce, and aged Comté.
Serving
Serve at 12 to 14°C, not colder. Will keep and improve for fifteen years and more.
About the Producer
Maison Joseph Drouhin was founded in Beaune in 1880 by Joseph Drouhin, who had arrived from Chablis at the age of 22. His son Maurice bought the Clos des Mouches in 1921 and began building the family's own vineyard holdings, and Robert Drouhin, who took over in 1957, added parcels in many of Burgundy's greatest grand crus. The house is run today by the fourth generation, Frédéric, Véronique, Philippe and Laurent, from cellars beneath the old town of Beaune dug between the 13th and 18th centuries. Every estate vineyard has been farmed organically and biodynamically since 1993, making Drouhin the largest biodynamic producer in Burgundy.
