No name enlivens and ignites a discussion of Burgundy as quickly as Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy. She is unrelenting in every way, from her personality to how she runs her business to the quality of the wine in the bottle. The Leroy family’s 50% ownership of Domaine Romanée-Conti gave Lalou ample ability to amass the deepest and most revered cellar in Burgundy during the past six decades. Speculation is rampant about its size and holdings; only one person knows for sure. Today, Lalou is the force behind three domaines: Maison Leroy, Domaine Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay. Domaine Leroy was established in 1988 with the purchase of domaines Charles Noëllat in Vosne-Romanée and Philippe Remy in Gevrey-Chambertin. Today, Lalou has some 54 acres of vines, mostly 1er and Grand Cru. Everything here is done by hand, and Lalou trains and manicures the vines into the most visually beautiful vineyards in the region. She practices biodynamic farming, as well as severe pruning and crop-thinning to maintain maximum equilibrium of the grapes. The result is incredibly low yields of extremely concentrated yet refined wines with a rare purity of fruit — some of the most highly prized wines in Burgundy today.