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Yes, we realise the price for this unicorn is now in the stratosphere—The Wine Advocate’s 100-point score for the 2020 did not help matters. But we get only a few bottles from a handkerchief-sized 0.05-hectare parcel, and we should recall that the overall pricing of Lamy wines is extremely fair in the context of modern, benchmark white Burgundy. We always take what we can get, which is only a few bottles, and the wine is certainly as outstanding as it is rare. The Lamy family have farmed the vines here for three generations, and the parcel borders the southeast corner of Bâtard right next to Madame Bize-Leroy’s Domaine d’Auvenay plot. Is it worth mentioning that d’Auvenay’s Criots is far more expensive? Olivier Lamy has taken the density here up to 24,000 vines per hectare, and unlike d’Auvenay (and most of its Grand Cru contemporaries), this wine is entirely unfettered by new oak (instead, it is raised in a single 250-litre, six-year-old barrel, with part of the aging in Wineglobe; if there is enough for a second vessel, this is also aged in Wineglobe.) So, the aging vessel always gets out of the way, allowing the drinker to get straight to the heart of the matter—which is simply remarkable white Burgundy of otherworldly finesse.
“Extra width after Eduard, more floral perfumed too. Simply a wow wine in all directions – large but so beautifully pure – crystalline wine – but with a couple of mm of cushioning that frames these large-scale flavours. A finish that just clings – keep it, preferably 10 years – but if any of you have a case (I doubt it!) you can open it earlier though!! Bill Nanson, Burgundy Report
“The 2022 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from the only bottle Lamy opened for the barrel tastings (using a Coravin). It has a very intense bouquet with red fruit scents of red cherry and strawberry and hints of crushed stone and jasmine. The palate has exquisite balance, shimmering tension and a keen thread of mineralité with a vibrant and persistent finish that goes on and on. This is stunning.” 97 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
“As usual, there's only one barrel of the 2022 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru Haute Densité, a glorious wine that will richly reward anyone able to attain a bottle—and to exercise the patience required to enjoy it at its best. Unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet orchard fruit, orange oil, oyster shell, freshly baked bread and wheat toast, it's full-bodied, satiny and layered, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, racy acids and a long, chalky finish. It's the king of the cellar, but it's also the most reserved wine in the range and really needs some time to show all its cards.” 98+ points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate