Meursault Les Narvaux 2002 Domaine d’Auvenay

Meursault Les Narvaux 2002 – Domaine d’Auvenay

A vintage of perfect balance, captured in crystalline purity

The Meursault Les Narvaux 2002 from Domaine d’Auvenay stands as a radiant example of elegance, precision, and depth. From a vintage marked by ideal conditions—generous yet controlled—this Chardonnay expresses its terroir with intensity and grace. Lalou Bize-Leroy delivers a wine that is both powerful and incredibly fine, vibrating with minerality and life.

In the vineyard and the cellar

The Les Narvaux plot sits high on the slope, on lean, limestone-rich soils. It is farmed with strict biodynamic discipline: no synthetic chemicals, meticulous manual work, and extremely low yields. The goal is to allow the terroir to speak with clarity.

Vinification follows a natural and minimalist path. Fermentation begins spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The wine ages over 24 months in old oak barrels, without fining or filtration. Purity, structure, and balance are the guiding principles.

Tasting notes 🍐🌰🪨

• Color: Pale golden yellow, luminous and alive.

• Nose: Elegant and layered. Ripe pear, almond, citrus zest, white blossoms, flint, and light buttery hints.

• Palate: Rich yet precise. A linear core with integrated acidity, tension, and a vibrant mineral backbone. Long finish with hazelnut and chalky salinity.

Serving and food pairing

Serve at 12–13 °C, preferably in large Burgundy glasses. Pairs wonderfully with lobster, shellfish risotto, butter-poached turbot, or mild blue cheeses. Also superb for contemplative sipping.

Technical sheet

• Producer: Domaine d’Auvenay

• Appellation: Meursault AOC

• Vintage: 2002

• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay

• Farming: Certified biodynamic

• Vinification: Spontaneous fermentation, aged in used barrels, unfiltered and unfined

• Alcohol: 13%

• Aging: Over 24 months on fine lees

• Serving temperature: 12–13 °C

• Cellaring potential: 25+ years

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Domaine d’Auvenay – The Hidden Soul of Burgundy

Introduction to the myth

Domaine d’Auvenay is one of the most mysterious, rare, and revered names in Burgundy—if not in the entire world of wine. Nestled in the village of Saint-Romain in the Côte de Beaune, it represents the most intimate and personal expression of Lalou Bize-Leroy, a living legend in the realm of Burgundian viticulture.

Unlike the more prominent and established Domaine Leroy, also owned by her, Auvenay is tiny and almost mystical: just around 4 hectares in total, farmed with obsessive precision and vinified without compromise.

From this quiet corner of Burgundy, Lalou produces some of the purest, most intense and long-lived white and red wines in existence—crafted with immense care, profound knowledge, and spiritual devotion.

A philosophy of total precision

In the vineyard: Biodynamics as an art form

The vineyards of Domaine d’Auvenay are cultivated with biodynamic principles and zero synthetic chemicals. Every task is carried out by hand, and each vine is treated as a living, individual organism.

No shortcuts. No machines. Every cluster is harvested by hand with surgical precision. The work in the vineyard is as detailed as bonsai cultivation, aimed at preserving biodiversity and enhancing soil vitality.

In the cellar: Slowness, gravity, and truth

Winemaking at Auvenay is deeply traditional and entirely gravity-fed. Fermentations occur spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in old oak barrels and demi-muids.

Malolactic fermentation is not always allowed, depending on the vintage. The wines mature slowly, often for extended periods on fine lees. They are neither fined nor filtered, and bottled only when Lalou deems them ready—sometimes after several years.

The wines of Auvenay

Whites: The epiphany of Chardonnay

Domaine d’Auvenay is best known for its monumental white wines, made from Chardonnay grapes grown in both prestigious and humble terroirs. From Bourgogne Aligoté to Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères, all the way up to Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, these wines offer a level of concentration, tension, and salinity that defies any classification system.

Even a so-called “village” wine from Auvenay can outshine Grand Crus from top domaines in purity and depth.

Reds: Precision and soul

Auvenay also produces tiny quantities of Pinot Noir, from rare and often forgotten parcels such as Volnay, Auxey-Duresses, Mazis-Chambertin, and others. These reds are refined, soulful, and intellectually complex—never about power, always about truth.

They offer a rare balance of transparency and depth, and they age with extraordinary grace.

Market impact and cult status

Ultra-limited, ultra-coveted

Buying a bottle of Domaine d’Auvenay is almost impossible. Production is extremely limited, distribution is tightly controlled, and the wines are sold mostly **through private allocations