Meursault Les Narvaux 2013 Domaine d’Auvenay

Meursault Les Narvaux 2013 – Domaine d’Auvenay

A timeless expression of Chardonnay

The Meursault Les Narvaux 2013 from Domaine d’Auvenay is a striking example of what happens when pure craftsmanship meets exceptional terroir. Sourced from a parcel located just above Meursault’s Premier Crus, Les Narvaux benefits from a high-altitude position and limestone-rich soils, offering structure, minerality, and finesse. The 2013 vintage, marked by a cool and late season, adds even more tension and elegance to the wine’s already razor-sharp profile.

Vineyard approach and winemaking philosophy

In the vineyard, Lalou Bize-Leroy applies strict biodynamic practices—no synthetic chemicals, only natural preparations, and intense manual care. Yields are kept extremely low to ensure concentration and balance.

Vinification is as minimal and respectful as possible. The wine ferments spontaneously with native yeasts, aged in used oak barrels, often for over two years on its fine lees. There is no fining or filtration, and bottling only happens when the wine is deemed ready. This is winemaking dictated by nature, not the calendar.

Tasting notes 🍋🍯🥂

• Color: Pale golden yellow with green reflections, luminous and crystalline.

• Nose: Complex and refined. Lemon peel, white flowers, acacia honey, wet stone, hazelnut, and hints of flint and sweet spice from barrel aging.

• Palate: Precision and clarity. Vibrant acidity meets a saline core, with a tight, focused mouthfeel. Rich yet weightless, the wine carries through to a long, chalky finish with citrus and smoky mineral echoes.

Serving & pairing suggestions

Serve between 12°C and 14°C. Decant or let breathe for 30–45 minutes to fully unlock the bouquet. Ideal with lobster, turbot, scallops, truffle-based dishes, or aged soft cheeses like a 24-month Comté.

Technical sheet

• Producer: Domaine d’Auvenay

• Appellation: Meursault AOC

• Vintage: 2013

• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay

• Farming: Certified biodynamic

• Vinification: Native yeast fermentation, long aging in used oak, no fining or filtration

• Alcohol: 13%

• Aging: 24–30 months on lees in barrel

• Serving temperature: 12–14°C

• Cellaring potential: 20+ 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