Criots Bâtard Montrachet, Domaine d'Auvenay 2006

While clearly very ripe and quite generously wooded, there is less exotic character present than one would expect given the 2006 vintage on the highly complex nose that is comprised mostly of white peach, apricot, spice and petrol aromas. There is outstanding concentration and power as the big-bodied and luscious flavors are blessed with seemingly unlimited amounts of palate coating sap, all wrapped in a hugely long and equally complex finish. This is a big wine and very Leroy in style yet for all of its impressize size, weight and punch, it remains beautifully well-balanced. For my taste this has reached its apogee though I underscore that it will easily be capable of lasting for another 20 years; that said, I'm not sure that it will be any more interesting then than it is now.