Domaine Benjamin Leroux 2018 Burgundy Offer


Benjamin’s a fascinating character to follow. Every vintage his experience with the different villages and plots he sources fruit from grows. Winemaking is a gamble, every year you roll the dice and use knowledge gleaned over time to harness what nature has presented you in the form of grapes. Ben’s always has lovely touch and it’s showed from day 1 in the Côtes du Beaune.

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Over the last couple of years Ben’s touch has extended from the Côtes du Beaune to the Côtes du Nuits. Each year I find the pleasure derived from both Côtes getting closer & closer to one and other.

2018 reds are bold with plenty of generosity. The plumpness of the fruit has immediate appeal, yet, it is time that these wines demand. The richness makes it a confusing year for those used to the old normal in Burgundy. Compared with recent years 2018 is most like 2015. The puppy fat needs to come off and the wines need to resolve.

We’ll see the drop into the typical Burgundy hole and close up in coming years. When they come out we will see wines that have resolved, the insane depth of fruit they have will pull back and reach balance with secondary characters. Tasting these wines today, they almost look a little new worldy. Yet leave a glass on the table for 24 hours and you can already start to see where they are going to go. The acid and tannin build, the fruit pulls back a little, balance falls into place. It’s clear they have all the components to make for delicious aged Burgundies. The wines from the Côtes du Beaune show as being more together now. Their is plenty more to come from the Côtes du Nuits!

The whites are impressive, he’s building textural appeal, has maintained excellent freshness and energy in the wines picking them ripe, not green, and certainly not over the top. The Bourgogne Blanc, 90% Meursault is a great little indicator.

Explore the Epic Line-Up & Enjoy!


Turns out Ben is good mates with Alex Moreau who I’ve spent a fair bit of time within Australia and Burgundy. So much so he’s Godfather to Tom, Alex’s son!

I spent some time with ben a couple of years ago. His high profile has not taken his head from the earth. He’s well and truly connected to the ground, both, by feet and focus. It was fascinating to hear him talk of the experiments he runs, the main influences on his winemaking over the past 10-15 years, his plans for the future, and, of course, the background to each the wines we tried. We recorded the audio for the session and share it in several podcasts below.

How to drink wine with Benjamin Leroux!

The 2018 Vintage at Leroux

 “I did not have time to taste the complete range of 2018s from Leroux, but I made serious inroads with around 25 whites and reds up for inspection. His winemaking talent is obvious to see… there is serious quality throughout his range from top to bottom.”

Neal Martin, Vinous

“The disarmingly charming Benjamin Leroux needs no introduction, and his 2018 portfolio showed superbly on this visit. The style here, in reds and whites, is pure, fine-boned and nicely balanced—wines which will drink well both young and old—and everything reviewed here comes recommended.”

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

From the Importer

Perhaps we should leave it with Mr Kelley’s quote: “everything here comes highly recommended”? That’ll pretty much do it. Ever year the thoughtful and precise Ben Leroux keeps on hitting a higher bar, continually adapting beautifully to the vintage and the ever-changing climate. His 2018s are superb across the range. We love the depth, chewy textures, complexity—and frankly surprising freshness—of the whites, as we do the power in a velvet glove with the grace and class of the reds.

The notes below have plenty of details. The third-party notes are frustratingly not always reflective of how well the wines taste today and perhaps this is because, as Leroux has pointed out, his wines improved enormously in the latter part of their aging.

On the vintage in general, it is clear that plenty of heroic wines have been made. Jasper Morris has written, “The best wines are superlative, in the class of the very best that Burgundy can produce.” Aubert de Villaine has described 2018 as “Beautiful, beautiful. A year that will leave its mark.” Arnaud Mortet believes he has overseen the best wines of his career. Leroux has done superbly well in both colours.

About Benjamin Leroux

“You may remember that when I asked Allen Meadows, aka Burghound, on this video who he thought might be a natural heir to the late great Henri Jayer of Burgundy, one of the two people he cited was young Benjamin Leroux of Domaine Comte Armand.” Jancis Robinson

“Leroux’s passion, ambition and sheer talent have already resulted in a number of stunning, beautiful wines, but my sense is that the best is yet to come.”  Wine Advocate # 194 May 2011

“I have never heard a more articulate and insightful presentation.” James Halliday on the Leroux 2008s Masterclass with Benjamin Leroux, The Australian, 11th September 2010.

Benjamin Leroux, previously manager/winemaker of Domaine Comte Armand launched his own label with the 2007 vintage. He works from a brand new winery in the centre of Beaune (just off the Boulevard) that he shares with Dominique Lafon and two other wine growers. The operation is very small and will eventually specialise, primarily, in Puligny and Volnay, but with many other appellations also covered. While there are over twenty terroirs produced, this is certainly a ‘micro negociant’ operation with only two to five barrels made of most of the cuvées. Leroux works with vineyards he manages, vineyards he owns and also buys fruit (never juice or wine) from growers with who he can work closely; growers that produce the quality of fruit to match Leroux’s exacting standards.

Leroux’s vision has always been to build an Estate and to this end he has already started buying vineyards. The first stage of his evolution, however, has been to establish the micro negociant business: a phase that has allowed him to establish a winery and refine his ideas and his understanding of the terroirs with which he wants to work. The way Leroux has structured this side of his business is highly innovative. His aim has been to create the same quality standards of the finest Domaines, despite not owning most of the vineyards. He has long-term relationships with the growers that he works with, some of which he pays by the area of land rather than the quantity of fruit harvested. This allows him to dictate lower yields, ripeness, date of harvest, and so on. He only works with high quality growers who plough or do not use herbicides or pesticides. Most are organic or biodynamic. For those that are not there is an understanding that they will move to organics over a five-year period. Leroux’s knowledge of the Côte is encyclopedic and he has been able to unearth some very interesting, previously hardly known sources for his portfolio. It’s important not to underestimate how close Leroux works these growers as that is one of the keys to his ability to coax the finest fruit quality from the vineyards.

A total of 120 barrels were produced in his first vintage, 2007 and some of the cuvees offered had already been produced by Leroux for a number of years at Comte Armand. These wines have now come across to the Benjamin Leroux label. Leroux is considered one of the most gifted and knowledgeable wine growers in all of the Côte d’Or.

Leroux is considered one of the most gifted and knowledgeable wine growers in all of the Côte d’Or. It only suffices to ask any other serious producer about Leroux to realize the respect he has garnered amongst his colleagues in the region. He was always considered a prodigy, studying at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune from the age of 13 and taking the reins at the esteemed Domaine Comte Armand when he was only 26. Leroux’s success with the Domaine’s wines over the last decade has well justified the decision to appoint such a young man to run the show. He continued to manage Comte Armand until 2014, despite now having his own range of wines (another sign of how well respected he is). While his range includes many famous terroirs, Leroux is determined only to work with vineyards that have been well managed and produce outstanding fruit, regardless of whether or not they have famous names. This makes sense, Leroux’s knowledge of Burgundy’s countless terroirs runs deep and producers like him are waking up the wine world to the fact that the reputation of many Côte d’Or vineyards has as much to do with the producers who work them than any intrinsic qualities of the sites themselves.

In the Winery

Throughout the videos above, the videos above, below, and the podcast with Levi Dalton, Ben explores many aspects of his winemaking. One rule reigns supreme it’s all judged by taste, what’s in the glass. Whether it’s use of large wood, stalks, or whole berries he’s constantly experimenting to find ways to evolve.

Benjamin 🎧 spoke with Levi Dalton about the changes that have occurred to winemaking in Burgundy. Enjoy!

Where in the World is Benjamin Leroux?

Leroux has parcels across both Côtes, making wines from Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Auxey-Duresses, Savigny, Volnay, Pommard, Corton, Vosne, Chambolle, Morey & Gevrey. Detailed maps of his holdings in each village can be found with the reviews below.

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About the Wines


The Whites (all 750ml format white under Stelvin Lux)

2018 Benjamin Leroux Bourgogne Aligoté

Leroux has considerable pedigree with this variety as followers of Domaine Comte Armand will know. This year’s wine is from two sources: 90- to 100-year-old, goblet-pruned Aligoté vines from La Fortune in Bouzeron (Côte Chalonnaise) and a parcel of 50-year-old Estate-grown fruit in Meursault’s Les Belle Roses. Both vineyards are home to Aligoté Doré, the high-quality, low-yielding cultivar of this variety with skin that takes on an ochre hue when fully ripe. The 2018 was naturally fermented in tank and the aging was split between seasoned 12-hectolitre ovals and ten-year-old Burgundy barriques.

87 Points

In bottle. Fine pretty pale colour, with a perfect tangy bouquet. Exactly what one expects. Half is from Bouzeron, La Fortune, half their own vines below Meursault. Fine and elegant, graceful even, no searing acidity. 12.2% natural.”

Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy

16.5 Points

Intense herby nose, with a touch of smoky reduction. Tight and intense and really lovely balance of rounded richness and fresh acidity. Smoky mineral on the finish.

Julia Harding, Jancisrobinson.com

2018 Benjamin Leroux Bourgogne Blanc

Screwcap. A mini-Meursault, this is also the first Leroux Bourgogne drawn almost entirely from Estate fruit (about 90%). The vineyards are Les Millerands, Sous la Velle and Les Belles Côtes, with each parcel well sited on the Côte. Unlike the vast majority of Bourgogne—which typically hails from the plains below the D974—Leroux’s vines are grown on limestone-rich terroirs above the main road. The Meursault fruit was supplemented with some 10% from the Hautes-Côtes this year. It was mostly raised in 12-hectolitre foudres for 12 months before finishing its élevage in stainless steel for four months. As always, this punches well above its weight. There’s terrific generosity but it’s also matched by sappy, juicy drive and length.

88 Points

The 2018 Bourgogne Blanc reveals aromas of pear, mandarin and almond paste, followed by a medium-bodied and crisp but fruit-driven palate, underpinned by lively acids and concluding with chalky grip. Most of the fruit derives from the commune of Meursault, supplemented by some 10% from the Hautes-Côtes

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

88 Points

Mix of stainless steel for 20%, then foudres of 12hl and a bit in normal barrel. Barrel because not enough foudres, and tank because not enough barrels! It was still in barrel in December 2019 because it was continuing to refine. Fine pale colour with a light green tint. This is a lean and hungry Bourgogne Blanc yet with considerable flesh behind and unusually persistent.”

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Auxey-Duresses

Leroux’s terrific Auxey-Duresses was drawn from three terroirs—Les Hautés, La Macabrée and Les Boutonniers—all abutting Meursault’s Les Vireuils Dessous and Les Meix Chavaux. The oldest vines date back to 1946. The land here is north-facing and affected by the cold air rolling down from the Hautes-Côtes—so a very fresh terroir! The higher vineyards of the Côte performed brilliantly in 2018, and this is a great example of this phenomena. This was mostly vinified in 12-hectolitre casks.

88-89 Points

Racked on its fine lees. Pure pale colour, clean white fruit, chiselled and lively, perfectly balanced, absolutely what Ben has always done with this appellation. He has worked with the same suppliers since 2003. Some apples, some citrus, and a fine long finish.”

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

87-89 Points

The 2018 Auxey-Duresses Village Blanc was taken from tank. It has a well-defined, quite leesy bouquet with fine definition. The well-balanced palate delivers effervescent lime and citrus fruit and a hint of orange peel on the finish. Fine

Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Meursault

Another bona fide Estate wine this year, with 100% of the fruit hailing from Leroux’s own vines in Moulin Landin, Criots, Bois de Blagny and Les Millerands. There’s also some Clos du Village, one of the new parcels in Meursault that Leroux picked up following the 2017 harvest. Each of these sites is certified organic and managed with biodynamic methods. The oldest vines date back to 1944.

Fruit from the white marls of Bois de Blagny accounts for 15% this year and brings a salty-mineral backbone to the layered flesh and depth of the wine. Elevage took place in foudre and 600-litre demi-muids. As the Jasper Morris notes states, this is really classic Meursault, and has layers of fruit dripping with ripe and pear and green almond notes—but there is also wonderful freshness, grip and drive.

88-91 Points

Mostly their vines. Criots, Moulin Landin, Millerands, Clos du Village, Bois de Blagny. Pick early on the lower parts. Pale colour with a ripe, rounded generous fruit on the nose, continues through on the palate, very classic Meursault with excellent length.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

87-90 Points

Toasted nuts, white flower and a plethora of citrus elements precede the caressing, round and delicious middle weight flavors that terminate in a bone-dry and slightly attenuated finish. I suspect though that this will eventually flesh out and my projected range accords the benefit of the doubt.

Allen Meadows, Burghound

2018 Benjamin Leroux Meursault Les Vireuils

2016 notwithstanding, Leroux has been making this wine from the same 0.35 hectares of vines since 2002 (pre-2007, this was at Comte Armand). This is from three parcels in Vireuils Dessus—one of the higher sites of Meursault—sitting above the renowned Les Chevalières and Rougeots lieux-dits in one of the best parts of Meursault for villages level. Vireuils is an east-facing, late-ripening site, with pure, rocky, limestone and flint soils. The vines are now around 45 years of age and, as always, have gifted a wine of intense minerality. It’s a vineyard that performs exceptionally in warm and generous years like 2018, with the wine’s sappy, high-grown freshness providing mouth-watering tension.

89-92 Points

Racked to tank on fine lees. Lovely complex nose with a little bit of tension. A bit of liquorice, lovely balance with the acidity here and very long

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

90-92 Points

The 2018 Meursault Les Vireuils offers more complexity on the nose compared to the Village Cru, offering pressed yellow flowers intermixed with beeswax and honeysuckle aromas. The palate is well balanced with better acidity than the Meursault Village and offers a welcome touch of salinity on the tensile finish. This comes recommended and should age well for a decade.

Neal Martin, Vinous

2018 Benjamin Leroux Meursault Narvaux

Diam. Narvaux is another of Meursault’s highest vineyards, sitting above the 1er Cru Les Genevrières. This comes from 0.10-hectares planted in 1975 in a clos at the top of the vineyard (Les Narvaux Dessus), so it could also be labelled Clos de Narvaux. This parcel is right next to Dominique Lafon’s vines. The soils have plenty of limestone and also iron oxide, giving it a reddish tinge. It’s a beautifully managed vineyard, with all the work done by hand (without the aid of a tractor) by a 78-year-old vigneron. Clos de Narvaux has very shallow soils and a southerly aspect, which promote both low yields and excellent ripening. As a result, the wine from here is round and textural, yet the minerality is equally intense. There is around 5% of Chardonnay Muscaté in the blend which brings brightness and lift.

88-90 Points

The 2018 Meursault Narvaux reveals scents of pear, green apple, white flowers and fresh hazelnuts. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, fine-boned and chalky, with an elegantly open-knit, charming profile. This is an expressive Narvaux that will drink well young.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

88-91 Points

This is compositionally similar to the straight Meursault villages but with the addition of a slightly exotic note. There is very good vibrancy and lovely delineation to the more mineral-inflected flavors where the better-balanced finish exhibits more persistence.

Allen Meadows, Burghound

88-90 Points

A little deeper in colour, noticeably riper on the nose, a touch of muscat. Ben tells me that this is only 13% so it is more the muscatty clone which is at work. Some yellow plums, with good acidity, racy but generous.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

2018 Benjamin Leroux Meursault 1er Cru Le Porusot

Diam. Leroux’s wine from this small 1er Cru comes from a 0.3-hectare, organically managed parcel in Le Porusot Dessus, the section of the vineyard bordering Genevrières. It’s an east-facing site with very little topsoil. Most of the fruit comes from a parcel of 1930 vines that produce tiny, concentrated berries. The remaining portion comes from 25-year-old vines. This is a site known for producing layered and earthy Meursault (e.g. Germain and Jobard) and Leroux’s example is, as always, one of his most intensely mineral whites

90-92 Points

The 2018 Meursault 1er Cru Le Poruzot reveals a pretty bouquet of pear, peach, blanched almonds and flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with ripe acids, chewy structuring extract and good length on the finish. Like most of these 2018 whites, this will also show well young.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

92-94 Points

The 2018 Meursault Porusot 1er Cru comes from vines up to 90-plus years old. The bouquet needs a little coaxing to reveal its orange blossom and walnut aromas; a touch of smoke emerges with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a saline entry, very good acidity and impressive concentration. There is a touch of grilled almond and walnut toward the persistent finish, completing an accomplished Porusots that should age over the next 15 years or more.

Neal Martin, Vinous

90-92 Points

Another fine lemon and lime colour. The nose shows a pleasing minerality, with a significant weight of fruit on the palate, through to a warmer finish. Fully ripe, just under 14%. Good weight, will suit those who like a riper style

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

2018 Benjamin Leroux Meursault 1er Cru Charmes-Dessus

Diam. Following the 2017 harvest, Leroux managed something of a coup when he won a hard-fought tender and was able to add to his Estate holdings in Meursault. While the purchase included a small selection of village plots (including Clos du Village) the real prizes were the well-sited parcels in Volany Santenots (Les Plures), Meursault-Blagny and a slice of Charmes, lying directly beneath Perrières. It’s a sliver of vines in the upper (dessus) portion of the vineyard, a section that has been singled out officially since the 1830s as being the finest part. The slope here is considerably steeper and the soil lighter and stonier than the lower Charmes-dessous.

Leroux’s vines—planted in the 1970s—sit a stone’s throw from the Puligny border under the Clos des Perrières: this is one of Meursault’s most favored terroirs. As with the majority of Leroux’s 1er Cru whites, this was aged with just 20% new oak. It’s a wine of great intensity, texture and drive. It will drink well young, but also with 5-10 years of bottle age.

91-93+ Points

The 2018 Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes-Dessus is showing well, wafting from the glass with notes of pear, white flowers, peach, fresh pastry and praline. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, muscular and textural, with succulent acids and an expansive finish. It's being matured in a 600-liter barrel.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

91-94 Points

More lemon than lime. The bouquet is a little bit hidden but there is a wealth of classic, ripe white fruit on the palate, with a very good texture, fruit and oak woven in well together. A little youthful bitterness behind, more elevage to come and is needed.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

91-93 Points

The 2018 Meursault Les Charmes-Dessus 1er Cru is the maiden vintage from Leroux and offers scents of citrus fruit, chalk dust and a touch of hazelnut. The palate is well balanced with orange zest and light apricot notes, a fine bead of acidity and a light, saline finish. Good length, although maybe this year I am more taken with the Porusots... for now.

Neal Martin, Vinous

2018 Benjamin Leroux Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières

Screwcap. Few will need reminding that Les Genevrières is one of Meursault’s greatest terroirs, arguably the finest after Les Perrières. This is drawn from two old vine parcels in the gravelly limestone of the lower part (dessous) of Genevrières. The two parcels add up to a single hectare, making this Leroux’s largest 1er Cru. Unlike previous years, Genevrières was not the first vineyard to be picked (that distinction goes to Bâtard and Puligny in 2018) yet it feels so balanced—with the depth offset by excellent vibrancy and racy, floral, zesty notes—that it’s clear that Leroux nailed the picking date. In keeping with Leroux’s low oak theme, this was also raised with less than 10% new wood.

Note: to avoid confusion with his Domaine bottling from Genevrières-Dessus, today this wine is simply labeled Genevrières.

92-95 Points

From Genevrières Dessous, but this is no longer on the label because of too much confusion with his Dessus bottling. Pale lemon colour with a precise lime and juniper nose. Excellent tension here, plenty of fruit weight, greater length than the other Meursault 1ers crus to date. Classy, long aftertaste.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

91-93 Points

Bursting with aromas of apples, pear, oatmeal and white flowers, Leroux's 2018 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières-Dessous is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, with a ripe core of fruit, succulent acids and a chalky finish. It's more gourmand and more extroverted than the Genevrières-Dessus that Leroux bottles separately for that reason.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

92-94 Points

The 2018 Meursault Genevrières-Dessus 1er Cru is showing just a little reduction on the nose, but it is packed full of intense fruit, and as that reduction ebbs away, the crushed stone and light hazelnut scents begin to emerge. The palate is very well balanced with a slightly honeyed entry, offering orange peel and hints of quince. The grippy finish suggests this is a long-term Meursault.

Neal Martin, Vinous

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Puligny-Montrachet

Always an outstanding example of the village since Leroux’s first release in 2007, this year is no exception. The fruit comes from Corvée des Vignes, Les Reuchaux and Les Levrons—a grouping of vineyards on the Meursault side of the village. Across the parcels, the vines average 40 years of age.

These vines were amongst the first to be picked in ‘18. The wine was raised in mostly 300-litre barrels for 18 months. Again this is so bright and juicy, literally vibrating with energy. This, combined with the natural generosity of the year, makes for one hell of a seductive package!

88-90 Points

Among the first to be picked. Bright fresh elegant and very Puligny with a certain juicy charm. Good fresh acidity at the back, fine boned through the middle, not the weight of Meursault but well made.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

89-91 points

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Village has primal grapefruit and lemongrass bouquet that needs a little more mineral expression. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. A very textural Puligny with a crisp, fresh yet generous finish. Leroux’s decision to pick this first among all his vineyards pays dividends.

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Baudines

Screwcap. The 3.6-hectare Les Baudines vineyard sits up high on the slope, near the tree line on the southwestern border of Chassagne. Les Baudines is essentially a continuation of Embazées but from vines higher on the hillside and therefore on soil with a higher limestone content. It’s a very cool site with mostly white clay soils, and offers a terroir that is perfectly suited to Leroux’s desire to produce fine-boned Chassagne. Leroux’s vines were planted in the 1980s.

The 2018 was raised in large format oak ovals, with a small (20%) portion raised in new barrel. It’s an outstanding example of this terroir—not necessarily typical, much more layered and creamy, with a long, punchy, floral close. Delicious. I would go as far as to say that it’s one of the finest examples of this site we have shipped. It may have been disjointed early days from barrel, but it certainly isn’t today!

89-92 Points

Pretty pale fresh colour, this is lighter than Embazées but finer on the nose, then fleshes out significantly on the palate with the wood showing a little. Disjointed today but should refine.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

91-94 points

Bright medium yellow. Lemon, pear and white flowers on the ripe nose. At once thick and savory, conveying terrific texture to its almost honeyed stone fruit flavors lifted by flowers. Finishes with a slowly building whiplash of flavor. Leroux used just one-third one-year-old barrels, and the rest older, explaining that Baudines is a cooler site and he "didn't want to kill the floral character with wood.

2018 Benjamin Leroux Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Embazées

Screwcap. Another of Chassagne’s lesser-known gems that Leroux has helped put back on the map, so to speak. This site sits right on the south-western border of Chassagne above Tête du Clos and just below Les Baudines. Leroux works with just 0.28-hectares (planted around 1980) and notes that the poor red soils—shot through with Bajocian limestone—give the wine its unique character. On theme, there is very little new oak this this year.

The nose here smells like limestone! While the palate is cool, racy and shot through with lime curd and fresh nectarine fruit. Lovely earthy lick on the finish. Again, one of the best (no, bugger it, THE best) examples of this wine we have shipped.

90-93 Points

"Pale yellow with green reflections. Here is a wealth of ripe yellow fruit on the nose, with good firm acidity, a touch of hot stone, a little bit of heat behind, the sun bouncing back off the rocks."

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

2018 Benjamin Leroux Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Tête du Clos

Diam. Leroux calls this vineyard the “Chevalier-Montrachet of the south” with good reason. Tête du Clos is one of the many sub-climats of Morgeot and lies at the apex of the vineyard where the soil is very rocky. There is barely 20 centimetres of topsoil, with white clay and plenty of limestone on the surface. It’s about the same altitude as Les Embazées, but it showcases a completely different expression of Chassagne—both richer and more mineral (hence the Chevalier reference).

Leroux’s old-vine parcel (0.4-hectares planted in 1955) produces small, concentrated clusters and the resulting power means that it sees a tad more new oak than the preceding wine. Here you have genuine depth of fruit combined with intense, earthy minerality, and a wine that lives up to its baby Grand Cru reputation.

92-94 Points

The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Tête du Clos was also showing brilliantly, soaring from the glass with a lively bouquet of pear, honeyed citrus fruits, peach, fresh mint and white flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied and textural but incisive, with racy acids, lovely depth at the core and a chalky finish.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

91-94 Points

Outstanding “A moderately pungent broad-ranging nose grudgingly offers up aromas of resin, petrol, apple compote and an airy top note of citrus rind. There is fine volume to the succulent yet quite serious flavors that pack plenty of punch on the robust, powerful and tightly wound finish. This built-to-age effort is already excellent and it's potentially outstanding.”

2018 Benjamin Leroux Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne

Diam. For the first time in its history Leroux’s 2018 Corton-Charlie comes from a single vineyard. Previous releases have included fruit from En Charlemagne on the Pernand side of the hill, yet this year’s rendition is drawn entirely from Les Languettes, a cool site in Aloxe-Corton, wedged between Les Pougets and Le Corton. Positioned directly below the woods, Leroux favours this site for its intense expression of white soil minerality. The only downside is the damage inflicted by neighbouring wild boars and rabbits when they emerge from the Corton forest! One third new oak used here. One killer Charlemagne!

18+ Points

Smells sweeter than the Bâtard and the Chevalier. Ripe lemon and a note of orange. Spicy too. Rich and creamy and mouth-filling, deep like a well and so rounded that you think the acidity is soft because there’s just a generosity and sweetness but the backbone of acidity is there. Chewy, deep and long, and lots of spice.

Julia Harding, Jancisrobinson.com

93-95 Points

100% Languettes, from the top part under the wood, a cool site. Stylish at first, very weighty behind, a wealth of pure white fruit, the stones tingle up the finish, Some spice from the barrel too. Interesting complex wine, less mineral than some.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

91-93 Points

A softly phenolic-tinged nose (think olive or nut oil characters) exhibits additional notes of citrus, apple and a whiff of clove. There is excellent punch and very good delineation to the bigger, richer and more muscular full-bodied flavors that flash points, ample power on the bone-dry, austere and grippy yet persistent finish. This is definitely going to require at least some forbearance before it's ready for prime time.

Allen Meadows, Burghound

2018 Benjamin Leroux Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet (Only bottled in magnum)

Diam. Leroux’s Bâtard comes from a brilliantly located 0.16-hectare plot of 40-year-old vines, right next to the Hospices de Beaune’s parcel and directly across the road from DRC’s Le Montrachet. This Estate site, (Leroux gained full control of the vineyard management in 2016), falls on the Chassagne side, for what it’s worth. Leroux has recently had the original stone entrance restored here, so it’s quite easy to find his plot if you’re ever driving the boundary between Bâtard and Le Montrachet.

Bâtard was Leroux’s first pick in 2018, and as Jasper Morris notes, the final blend contains no new oak. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s majestic, it’s rare, and it’s a magnum. “Give it time,” implores Leroux. Based on previous vintages, we can only agree.

94-97 Points

Gorgeous deep fresh yellow, picked on 28th August, 13.85% already, it was time to do it! Very high-class nose, full of complex options. Benjamin didn’t like the new wood component so quickly took it out. Very backward but such a wealth of fruit and it is multi-layered. A classic Bâtard which will go buttery in the fullness of time.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

92-95 Points

Don't miss! “An intensely floral-suffused nose blends notes of various white orchard fruit aromas with those of lemon-lime, spice and whisper of wood. There is excellent richness, size and weight to the big-bodied flavors that brim with dry extract that buffers the very firm acid spine shaping the very dry, powerful and impressively long finish. Note that my projected drinking window is based on the magnum format.”

Allen Meadows, Burghound

91-93+ Points

Deep and muscular, the 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of pear, toasted nuts, orange oil and fresh pastry. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rich and textural, with a concentrated core of fruit, ripe acids and a long, honey finish. Readers who privilege power over tension will gravitate toward this, whereas the Genevrières-Dessus and Tête du Clos will appeal more to purists.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

The Reds (all wines under cork unless stated)

2018 Benjamin Leroux Bourgogne Rouge

Screwcap. This year’s blend includes a quarter of declassified villages-level wine from St-Romain and Monthélie. The Bourgogne-level fruit is drawn mostly from the excellent Maison Dieu in Pommard, Les Mont Pellans in Meursault, some Estate vines in Volnay and even a little contribution from Vosne-Romanée (Croix Blanches). The remaining 25% comes from the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits above Vosne-Romanée.

The élevage took place in 22-hectolitre Grenier cask supported by a few 228-litre Burgundian pièce. There was no new oak used, and the grapes were entirely de-stemmed. But these are details; the most important thing to know is that it’s a superb wine for its level—deep and generous, remarkably rich for Bourgogne (with dark cherry, mocha, iodine notes) and a spicy, dark chocolate noted close.

16.5 Points

Inviting and gorgeous sweet dark-red fruit. Rich and savoury at the same time. Fantastic for a Bourgogne – Leroux thinks Bourgogne and village wines are great in 2018. A little bit of peppery spice, fine tannins and wonderful but not overripe fruit. Gently spiced and chewy on the finish. Should be GV.

Julia Harding, Jancisrobinson.com

86 Points

In tank. This is largely from Bourgogne vineyards below Pommard and Meursault but also includes village Monthelie and St-Romain along with Hautes Côtes from the excellent Dames Huguettes vineyard. Dense red, a little caramel on the nose, then good density behind with length at this level.

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Savigny-lès-Beaune

Screwcap. Those who attended our recent Zoom masterclass would have heard Benjamin waxing lyrical about his 2018 Savigny, and the excellent quality of the villages wines in general. They would have also tasted this wine and so seen the proof in the glass. The lion’s share of this vintage comes from the outstanding Aux Fournaux terroir in the north of the village. Then there’s Les Peuillets (in the south) and Ez Connardises (in the heart of the village), to make up the traditional trio of parcels. While the latter plots were de-stemmed, the Aux Fournaux parcel was fermented with 80% whole-bunch (a rarity in Leroux Savigny). The entire cuvée saw next to no new oak.

It’s a remarkably deep and powerful wine in the context of Savigny, with blackcurrant, cocoa and some red cherry too. The finish is bright with powdery tannins. Always a bargain, it is particularly so this year. I believe the extra aging has brought more depth than suggested by the notes below.

87-89 Points

Racked. Fine mid purple, pleasing light nose. There is a really dense concentration of brisk raspberry fruit with a cherry edge here, lovely balance and impressive length. The main source is Ez Connardises and some Fourneaux which was mostly whole bunch as it had very ripe stems.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

87-89 Points

The 2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune Village was taken from tank and contains 15–20% whole-bunch fruit (one-third originating from Les Fourneaux). It has a pleasant, slightly bucolic red currant and cranberry bouquet. The palate is well balanced with crunchy red fruit and slightly peppery in style; a little chewiness comes through on the finish. Fine.

Neal Martin, Vinous

2018 Benjamin Leroux Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Haut Jarrons

The vines here are owned by one of Leroux’s close friends and sited in the heart of the 1er Cru on the east-facing, Beaune side of Savigny. This is the area from where the most elegant Savigny wines tend to derive—and this vintage is typically in that vein. Like most of the terrain in the Côte d’Or, the soils here are clay/ limestone, but the clay here is light and sandy. There’s more muscle here than in the villages cuvée—as you might expect—but also a great finesse and intense, minerally, earthy flavours. The 2018 was raised with 10% new oak and only a small amount of whole-bunch was used in the blend.

As with Leroux’s ’18 village Savigny, there is much more depth than we would typically see in this wine, with smoky, red and dark cherry fruit and an intense, ferrous, mineral character running the length of the palate. This must have come on significantly in the maturation as the note below really undersells the quality and value on offer here.

88-90 Points

Entirely destemmed fruit, now racked. Mid red, the wines are never too deep in colour here. Elegance up front, a little more depth behind, sweet red fruit with some mineral tension.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Volnay

Volnay was arguably the standout village of the Côte de Beaune in 2018 and, when you consider that half of this wine comes from declassified 1er Cru, it’s easy to understand why Leroux considers this his favourite villages red from 2018. This year’s blend was drawn from Les Grands Champs, a site abutting the 1er Cru belt that lies below the village, from declassified 1er Cru La Gigotte, and, for the first time, the 2018 includes some fruit from the lower part of 1er Cru Les Carelles. These sources are in fact all one continuous parcel from one owner. The vines average 40 years of age.

Across the blend, just 20% whole bunches were employed this year and there was no new oak. It all adds up to one hell of a village release—deep and packed with dark cherry fruit and all kinds of spice and plenty of fine tannins. Will certainly repay cellaring for at least a decade.

88-90 Points

Leroux's 2018 Volnay Village offers up aromas of cherries, cassis, dark chocolate and grilled squab, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and velvety palate with a pretty core of fruit, powdery tannins and succulent underlying acids. It's a blend of Grands Champs, Gigotte and Carelles—fine communal lieux-dits that touch the premiers crus.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

17 Points

Smoky and dark fruited (not racked at all – as for all the reds). A touch charry on the nose, then wonderful cool finesse on the palate, dark and stony with super-fine tannins, not silky with age but like fine cotton. So elegant. Dry and dark and restrained in style but lots of fruit at the core. Impressive for a village wine. Leroux says this is his favourite village wine in 2018.

Julia Harding, Jancisrobinson.com

2018 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans

‘Mitans’ derives from the old French for centre, and fittingly, this Cru lies at the foot of the slope (just beneath the village proper) at the heart of the appellation. The parcel in play is close to the Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Barre and the soil here is fine clay shot through with limestone. The vines are, on average, 50 years old.

The wine from here is often less tannic than some others from Volnay, in fact Les Mitans is considered one of the most elegant, cerebral expressions of Volnay—even though Leroux delivers a wine of real depth and intensity. A light touch of whole bunches (10%) adds some lift to a captivatingly perfumed and pure-fruited Volnay that has both flesh and freshness.

90-92 Points

Aromas of raspberries and cherries mingle with rose petals, violets and raw cocoa in a fragrant bouquet, introducing the 2018 Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans, a medium to full-bodied, supple and inviting wine that's ripe but succulent, built around melting tannins and juicy acids. This is a charming, front-loaded Mitans that will offer a wide drinking window.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

17 Points

Dark-fruited and elegant nose. A touch peppery but with a dark restraint at the moment. Sweeter fruited on the palate than on the nose, creamy texture, caressing and round but with lovely freshness. Juicy but dry at the same time, terrific freshness and persistence in a baby wine.

Julia Harding, Jancisrobinson.com

2018 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Cave des Ducs (Monopole)

Clos de la Cave des Ducs is a 0.64-hectare monopole vineyard owned by the family of Leroux’s right-hand man, Jean-Charles Carré. It’s a wine that was rarely seen before Leroux started bottling this site. With Jean-Charles, Leroux controls every aspect of viticulture and so the site is managed biodynamically and with meticulous care. The vineyard is the highest 1er Crus of Volnay, and sits on fine, light soils. The vines are up to 80 years old, with an average age of 50 years, and include a parcel of 20-year-old massale selection vines sourced from Comte Armand’s Clos des Epeneaux.

Carre and Leroux use this site as a test bed of their viticulture experiments—they are currently trialing a higher canopy—and Leroux has noted that recent harvests have seen the Clos move more and more towards a finer, more floral expression. This year Leroux retained around 20% whole bunches. It’s an exquisite release of this wine, if one that will benefit significantly from time in the cellar. The florals of rose and magnolia are there, as is the mulberry-like fruit and loads of brown spices. The tannins are certainly there too, demanding food or time. As always, a terrific bottle.

91-93 Points

Fine mid red with an elegance of bouquet that we have come to expect here. Gracious gentle sweet fruit, 20% whole bunch, this is very sensual and showing well, exactly the classic style of the vintage. The grapes were fully ripe but retained their balance.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

88-91 Points

Here the cool and restrained nose is more elegant still with its airy array of red currant, cherry, spice and soft lilac wisps. The slightly finer if less concentrated flavors are even more mineral-inflected on the equally austere finale

Allen Meadows, Burghound

90-92+ Points

Opening in the glass with notes of plums, wild berries, dark chocolate and potpourri, the 2018 Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Cave des Ducs is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with powdery tannins that assert themselves on the back end, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. While this is deceptively extroverted today, I suspect it will need time.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

2018 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru En Caillerets

There’s an old saying in Burgundy that goes: “If you have not drunk Caillerets, you don’t know Volnay”. Leroux could hardly conceal his excitement when he first told us that he had gotten access to a parcel of vines in this famous site, which he calls the king of Volnay. That excitement has certainly been borne out by the wines released so far.

Bordering 1er Cru Les Santenots to the south, and En Champans to the north, Caillerets is a beautifully exposed vineyard that sits mid-slope and is exploited by growers such as d’Angerville, Lafarge and Pousse d’Or. The 14-odd hectares of this vineyard are subdivided into three lieux-dits, with Leroux now farming 0.5 hectares of Pinot Fin (planted in 1945, 1985 and the late ‘90s) in the area known as Caillerets-Dessus. Crafted with a high proportion whole bunches (only the fruit from the youngest vines was de-stemmed), the wine was aged in roughly one-quarter new oak. The notes below capture this superb wine well. A terrific follow-on from the equally outstanding ’17 release.

91-93 Points

The 2018 Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets reveals aromas of dark berries, wild blueberries, forest floor and potpourri, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and elegant palate that's pretty and precise, built around chalky tannins. It's more ethereal than the richer, more muscular Santenots.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

93-95 Points

One of the first picked, at a balanced 13.3%. Magisterial red purple colour with a nose to match, suggesting both depth and class. The fruit is a ripe velvety red in style, with perfect balance. Clearly a high-class pinot here, with the perfect acid and fine grained tannin balance. Lovely lingering aftertaste.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

91-93 Points

The 2018 Volnay Les Caillerets 1er Cru was the first red to be picked by Leroux, on August 29. It has a slightly smudged bouquet of brambly red fruit, sous-bois and a pepperiness imparted by the two-thirds whole-bunch addition. The palate is medium-bodied with a grainy texture and quite structured, like a Pommard, with its limestone soils very expressive and lending vivacity on the finish. Good potential.

Neal Martin, Vinous

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Pommard

With both this cuvée and the wonderful Les Rugiens-Hauts, Leroux is back in Pommard with a bang. The 2018 is a blend of Les Vaumuriens (high on the slope) and Les Cras (on the lower slope), both vineyards that lie on the Volnay side of the village. In terms of power, Pommard brought the thunder in 2018, although Leroux notes the cooler, hillside fruit from Les Vaumuriens brought excellent balance to the blend. This was crafted from 100% de-stemmed berries and raised with roughly 20% new oak. We have very little. Very deep and very classy.

90-92 Points

From Cras and Vaumuriens, so a mix of the flat land and the hillside. Deep concentrated red with a most delicious bouquet, heady but balanced with floral notes too. Succulent red fruit, really stylish for Pommard, backed by some habitual tannins.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

2018 Benjamin Leroux Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens-Hauts

Notwithstanding the Clos des Epeneaux, Leroux has always said there is only one 1er Cru that would tempt him back to Pommard: Les Rugiens. A new long-term contract with the same owner as the Volnay Caillerets brought Leroux back in his old stomping ground in 2017, and once again, he works the same iron-rich red clay soils that he did with Comte Armand. These vines (0.6-hectares covering three small parcels of 25- and 90-year-old vines) lie at the foot of Les Rugiens-Hauts, the part of the vineyard that is considered by many (Leroux included) to produce Pommard’s greatest wines.

Again, only the youngest fruit was de-stemmed, leaving half of the fruit as whole berries. “The kind of Pommard I love,” says Leroux. Again, a remarkable follow-on from the brilliant 2017, this is a heroic Pommard that will cellar very, very well.

91-93 Points

The 2018 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens-Hauts displays scents of cassis, cherries, dark chocolate, woodsmoke, rose petals and grilled meats, followed by a medium to full-bodied, elegantly layered and multidimensional palate that's succulent and refined, built around powdery tannins.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

91-94 Points

Half whole bunch. Excellent dense colour. Fine firm fruit on the nose, this has all the class of the upper part without acquiring the depth of the lower sector. The fruit hovers between red and black, the tannins are fine grained, with impressive length and weight of fruit without being bulky.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Chambolle-Musigny

Leroux’s 2018 Chambolle was drawn from a range of sites, not least a 1955 parcel of Les Véroilles— perhaps the highest villages vineyard in Chambolle— which sits on terres blanches above Bonnes Mares. Then there’s a healthy addition of 1er Cru Les Chatelot as well as a parcel in Bas Doix (on terres brunes under Les Amoureuses on the Vougeot border). So outstanding terroirs!

Using roughly 30% whole bunches and 20% new oak, Leroux has sculpted a seductive Chambolle that opens with a measure of controlled flamboyance before segueing into something more suave, sappy and refreshing. Much like the Volnay, Vosne and Gevrey village wines, this is all class and is sold well short by the reviews below.

87-89 Points

From Veroilles, Bas Doix and young vines of 1er Cru Chatelots. Lighter colour especially at the edge, and a gentle nose. One third whole bunch. Clean bright ripe fruit, quite soft, not sure how well this balances with the fruit.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

87-89 Points

A subtle touch of wood can be found on the softly spicy aromas of floral-inflected red and dark pinot scents. The supple, delicious and refined middle weight flavors exude a discreet bead of minerality on the dusty and slightly drying but not really short finish.

Allen Meadows, Burghound

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Gevrey-Chambertin

Fifty per cent of Leroux’s 2018 Gevrey hails from 50-year-old vines in Les Seuvrées (bordering Morey) with the northern, limestone-rich La Justice and some old-vines in Les Jeunes Rois (on the Brochon side of the appellation) completing the picture. There’s no doubt the Jeunes Rois fruit has brought a greater dimension to this cuvée, and we’re glad Leroux decided to keep it in the blend—he was tempted to bottle the 2018 as a separate cuvée.

Each parcel was vinified separately before blending, there was 30% whole-bunch used, and the wine was aged in 600-litre and 225-litre barrels (20% new). It’s a beautiful example of Gevrey—deep, and with a structured, mineral backbone, but oh-so-fine. Super long, it should drink well young (with food and a good decant) and will certainly make old bones.

91-93 Points

Racked. Benjamin rejected one supplier for yield. What he has made is excellent. Mid purple colour, with a very elegant attractively ripe deep red fruit nose. Excellent fresh mineral touch at the back, the savoury detail for which Gevrey is noted, fine boned and very persistent!****

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

89-91 Points

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Village is mostly from Les Seuvrées, aged half in 600-liter and half in 225-liter barrels, and has a fragrant bouquet of blackberry, briar and light chalky aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and quite saline in the mouth, with plenty of energy on the refined finish, which really benefits from the stem addition. This comes highly recommended given its prospective price tag.

2018 Benjamin Leroux Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux

With its eroded limestone walls covered in vines and wildflowers, this ancient and picturesque climat has a medieval feel about it. It is situated up high, on the border of Brochon in the most beautiful part of Gevrey. The soils here are mostly stony, red clays with the parent rock (limestone of course) very close to the surface. Leroux’s vines are 40 years old. This is a site that typically delivers very small berries and intense, aromatic fruit.

Fans of Domaine Denis Mortet will be familiar with this vineyard and the Leroux bottling, too, is seriously impressive. In cooler years Champeaux can be firm, but the warmth of 2018 has really rounded out the edges. From organically tended vines, the 2018 was crafted from half whole-bunch and half de-stemmed fruit and it’s a superb example. Layered and opulent fruit is balanced by high-grown freshness and powdery tannins. Superb.

91-94 Points

Rich full purple, with a full fresh dark red fruit on the nose. A sumptuous note to the fruit here but grounded by solid tannins at the finish. Luscious quality to the fruit, but none the worse for that.

2018 Benjamin Leroux Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

2018 marks Leroux’s first release from 1er Cru Les Cazetiers and replaces the Goulots and La Perrière, which have returned to the growers. This is no bad thing—along with Clos and Lavaux Saint-Jacques, Les Cazetiers and Les Combottes are considered two of the finest 1er Crus of Gevrey. Inside Burgundy’s Jasper Morris tells us, “Good Cazetiers gives a feeling of refinement and precision which has an intellectual appeal as well as being vinously satisfying.”

Les Cazetiers is a steep, 8.43-ha vineyard located directly up-slope from the village of Gevrey, flanked by Clos-Saint-Jacques and Combe aux Moines. Leroux’s plot has 40-year-old Pinot Fin vines, situated mid slope on “a gorgeous terroir next to the Clos St Jacques,” notes Benjamin. The vines here have been worked biodynamically for a number years. The 2018 was fermented with two-thirds whole bunches. A seriously outstanding debut as the notes below make clear.

92-95 Points

A new contract in 2018, from old vines in pinot fin. Fine bright deep purple. This wine demonstrates the elegance of Cazetiers. It is pleasingly stylish, with the expected mineral detail and very good length. Tasted: November 2019

90-93 Points

Outstanding. “Here too there is ample floral influence on the distinctly sauvage-inflected and very earthy wild red berry fruit aromas that display a mentholated top note. The delicious and highly energetic medium weight plus flavors brim with both minerality and solid power before delivering excellent length on the saline, refreshing and sneaky long finale. This very firm effort is really quite good and very Cazetiers in basic character.”

Allen Meadows, Burghound

91-93 Points

The 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers displays attractive aromas of cassis, raspberries and rose petals, mingled with rich soil tones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a pretty core of fruit, lively acids and fine-grained structuring tannins.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Vosne-Romanée

As of the 2018 vintage, Leroux now farms two hectares in Vosne, and so this year’s wine benefits from a more complex range of sites spanning the length of the village. Starting in the north we have Les Violettes and Maizières Basses—both organically farmed plots with 60-year-old Pinot Fin vines that lie on the Flagey side of the village close to Clos de Vougeot. South of the village there’s the new parcels of Aux Genaivrières, Les Jacquines and La Rivière (the latter two parcels lie under the northern 1er Crus of Nuits-Saint-Georges).

Each parcel was vinified separately and the 50% whole bunch quota derived from the northern parcels. A meager 15% new oak this year. This blew everyone away at our Zoom tasting and rightly so. Pure silk.

88-90 Points

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Village opens in the glass with notes of wild berries, woodsmoke, plums and spices. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, built around powdery tannins and lively acids. Leroux produced fully 32 barrels of this cuvée this year

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

91-93 Points

Half whole bunch. Good deep colour, a somewhat sultry nose made more complex by the whole bunch component (50%). This really works on the palate with a delicious lift at the back, spicy notes and fair aftertaste. Needs a little more time.

88-91 Points

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Village has a perfumed bouquet with pressed rose petal scents infusing the red currant and strawberry scents, the whole-bunch addition lending a subtle pepperiness. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and quite strict and linear in style. There’s a little toughness on the finish that will need some bottle age to soften. A serious Vosne Village.

Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

2018 Benjamin Leroux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Au Dessus des Malconsorts (Only bottled in magnum)

Leroux only produced roughly 500-600 litres from this tiny vineyard. The terroir here (in Au Dessus) is rockier than the rest of the vineyard, resulting in a very mineral expression with great perfume and freshness, and less overt fat. The vines in 2018 produced tiny bunches and berries and this was fermented with 65% whole bunches and racked early from new wood into two-year-old barrique.

93-95 Points

Aromas of cherries, raspberries and sweet soil tones, framed by a deft touch of exotic new oak, introduce the 2018 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Au-Dessus des Malconsorts. It's a medium to full-bodied, velvety wine that's charming and nicely concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit structured around ripe tannins and acids. Bottled only in magnum, this is one of Leroux's smallest cuvées.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

92-94 Points

The colour is a touch more evolved here coming after the Gevreys. Complex spicy nose, one third whole bunch, beautifully luscious through the mid palate after this more austere start and a very long finish. You know it is further up the hill than Les Malconsorts itself, but this is really fine.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

93-95 Points

The 2018 Vosne-Romanée Malconsorts-Dessus 1er Cru contains two-thirds whole bunch, and that comes through on a slightly stemmy nose that you might describe as Dujac’s cousin. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins, a fine line of acidity and the structure you would expect from a Malconsorts, leading to an edgy, persistent finish. Excellent. This will only be bottled in magnums.

Neal Martin, Vinous

2015 Benjamin Leroux Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyères Grand Cru

Like a number of growers in this part of the Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Leroux has been using the historic lieu-dit name of Mazoyères-Chambertin to indicate that this terroir is significantly different to the rest of the AOC (and arguably superior). However, due to an INAO mandate the wine now has had to be labeled as Charmes.

Regardless, as always this comes from 0.13-hectares of Mazoyères Dessus (planted in 1965) in the favoured top part of this vineyard near Combottes and Grand Cru Latricières-Chambertin on the edge of Morey. The wine was fermented with 30% whole bunches and matured in one-third new oak. It’s a superb example as the note below makes clear.

94-97 Points

This year the wine formerly known as Mazoyères-Chambertin will be Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyères. There are technical reasons I won’t bother you with. Excellent dark colour, with a beautiful crunchy mineral aspect to the nose alongside the undoubtedly dark fruit. All the energy comes at the back of the palate, this is sublime and substantial..

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

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2018 Benjamin Leroux Grand Cru Clos Saint-Denis

Due to its small size (at 6.6 hectares it’s about one-third of the size of Clos de la Roche) and fragmented ownership, this is one of the Côte d’Or’s least-tasted Grand Cru vineyards. For a number of years, Leroux has been making an outstanding example from a parcel of vines (planted in 1962) smack-bang in the original Clos (there are another three climats or historic lieux-dits grouped together under the Clos Saint-Denis AOC). So, this is from the historic vineyard of the same name, specifically from a tiny, 0.13-hectare parcel which has always been managed organically.

As per last year, the wine was entirely de-stemmed and aged in one-third new barrels. Leroux always refers to this Grand Cru as “mon chouchou”, which means teacher’s pet or favourite. That said, there’s some pretty stiff competition coming from 2018! In the context of the vintage Leroux describes his 2018 as being a super fine, pretty and perfumed example.

92-95 Points

Ripe purple, super powerful explosive bouquet, very ripe but not unbalanced. Plump, deep ripe cherry mouthful, flamboyant, useful tannins, not too much acidity. This weighs in at 14% but is a lovely wine nonetheless and should be accessible quite early on.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

90-93 Points

Noticeable wood frames wonderfully fresh and highly aromatic profile with its spicy lilac, rose petal and exotic tea scents that include both red and dark currant. There is good size, weight and focused power to the slightly less mineral-inflected flavors that exhibit a taut muscularity on the dusty and strikingly persistent finale. The supporting tannins are not particularly refined, but the length is definitely impressive.

2018 Benjamin Leroux Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares (Only bottled in magnum)

Leroux’s parcel within Bonnes-Mares has always been managed organically. Like many of Leroux’s Grand Crus, it’s tiny—just a 0.1-hectare plot neighbouring Christophe Roumier’s site, in the southern sector of the Grand Cru on the Chambolle side. Leroux’s vines were planted in 1983. The soil type is terres blanches, and this part of Bonnes-Mares is very rocky, with rich limestone and fossils.

This is a brooding, powerful wine and one of the best wines from the Domaine in 2018. Raised with one-third new oak, it will demand some time in the cellar—like any great example of Bonnes-Mares.

92-95 Points

One barrel out of three has been retained. Ultra intense purple, dark fruit on the nose. Very substantial, this is a hefty Bonnes Mares displaying plums but not prunes. Ben tells me that it has continued to refine in barrel since I tasted.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

2018 Benjamin Leroux Clos de La Roche Grand Cru (Only bottled in magnum)

This wine hails from 0.15 hectares of vines, located mid-slope on shallow, rocky soil with a high limestone content. The vines were planted in 1965. At its finest (which comes down to the producer and location within the Clos) Clos de la Roche can produce some of the Côte d’Or’s most profound reds.

This wine is very typical of that produced by the finest makers in the appellation, offering a deep, layered and dark-fruited personality with the exotic spice of Morey’s northern slopes. As you would expect, there is more structural muscle and minerality than the Clos Saint-Denis. In short, this is a superb wine with great depth of ripe fruit, yet also terrific freshness and fine tannins. It clearly has enormous ageing potential, especially as in magnum. This cuvée was entirely de-stemmed and matured in one-third new oak. It walks a remarkable line between ripe power and finesse. Leroux describes it his favourite wine in 2018—and who are we to argue?

19 Points

So fragrant – fragrantly peppery – Morey at its best. Dark-red fruit on the palate, both pure and sweet and silky. So ready it will be bottled in January. Gorgeously seductive in fruit and perfectly elegant in tannins. Great wines are good any time, says Leroux (after Henri Jayer).

93-96 Points

Fine bright deep colour. There is a beautiful explosion of ripe fruit, plummy exuberance. Continues right across the palate to a lively bouncy finish. Certainly this is ripe for Burgundy but it works well.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

91-93 Points

Moderate wood can be found on the equally spicy aromas of lavender, violet, warm earth and black cherry liqueur. There is excellent underlying tension to the bold, robust and powerful flavors that possess obvious muscle while the mouthfeel of the youthfully austere and somewhat linear finale is also a bit raspy though I expect that it will eventually round out.

Allen Meadows, Burghound

2018 Benjamin Leroux Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses (Only bottled in magnum)

From a miniscule 0.06 hectares of Les Amoureuses (planted in 1972), this is Leroux’s smallest parcel. There are so few magnums available that we shouldn’t even be writing notes! As has become the custom, Leroux vinified this wine in a one-year-old barrel with only de-stemmed fruit.

18 Points

No stems. One-year-old barrels. Pure and dancing, scented, pretty, tight, finely textured but shut down a little on the palate at the moment, apparently. Amazing freshness. And length. Tight, mouth-watering, captivating, hard to move on. Amazing persistence.

Julia Harding, Jancisrobinson.com

2018 Benjamin Leroux Grand Cru Chambertin (Only bottled in magnum)

Leroux’s five barrels of Chambertin were drawn from a parcel of old, biodynamically-farmed vines in the heart of the vineyard. The 2018 was vinified with 80% whole bunches and 40% new oak. Again, the less we say the better!

93-95 Points

The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru was also performing brilliantly, exhibiting aromas of cherries, wild berries and cassis mingled with smoked meats, rich soil tones and spices. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and velvety, with fine concentration, ripe structuring tannins and lively acids. Multidimensional and complex, this is an excellent Chambertin from Leroux.

William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

18.5 Points

Darker on the nose and the whole bunch just doesn’t show as it does on the Mazis. Mouth-watering, taut, almost salty. Stunning freshness and a salty chocolate finish. Embryonically gorgeous.

Julia Harding, Jancisrobinson.com

95-98 Points

13.5%, so picked at the right time. A little lighter in colour with slightly reductive leafy character, lightly perfumed. Light clear red fruit, with all the depth appearing at the back of the palate and a fabulous long finish. Shows prettier livelier fruit when re-tasted and absolutely all in finesse yet with real intensity.

Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

93-95 Points

The 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru takes time to get going but is worth the wait, offering vivid red fruit, forest floor, tobacco and light oyster shell aromas. The palate is very refined on the entry, underpinned by a fine bead of acidity. Harmonious and quite persistent, with a paradoxically powerful finish full of finesse. Gorgeous.

Neal Martin, Vinous


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