2023 Criots Batard Montrachet Haute Densite

Derived from vines planted at a density of 24,000 vines per hectare and matured in a single, previously used 228-liter barrel, Lamy’s 2023 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru Haute Densité has turned out beautifully, lifting from the glass with a deep bouquet of pear, orange peel, freshly baked bread and peach, mingled with dried white flowers and beeswax. On the palate, it is full-bodied, deep and layered, with an elegantly muscular core and an enveloping texture supported by racy acidity and ample reserves of chalky dry extract, culminating in a long, precise finish. From a warmer site than the one that produces the crystalline Derrière Chez Édouard Haute Densité, it is a lusher wine that is simultaneously grandiose and incisive, though, qualitatively speaking, there is little between them.