Description
Benjamin Leroux is considered by many to be the successor of Henri Jayer, his knowledge about wine and most of all about each terroir characteristics runs deep. After establishing his name by leading Domaine Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux for eight years, Leroux has started a négociant business in 2007 to make wines under his own label, in a winery that he shares with Dominique Lafon.
The Production is very limited and Leroux is determined only to work with vineyards that have been well managed and produce outstanding fruits from interesting and unjustly under rated terroirs. In fact, Leroux’s knowledge of Burgundy’s countless terroirs seems boundless 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.
He carefully selects his growers and exerts maximum control over them, converting them as possible to organic and biodynamic practices. Even if Benjamin is known to be a technical master of oenology, he keeps a very instinctive approach of winemaking and an open mind towards every technics, he perceives biodynamic as a flexible philosophy rather than a rigid credo and he chooses what he thinks is the best at each step. His wines are youthful and expressive, it seems that he treats his Generic Bourgogne as if they were Grands Crus, they are precise and poised, well structured with a fruitiness enhanced by a remarkable depth.
Tasting Notes
The 2016 Vosne Romanee Villages is an expanded cuvée since Leroux takes all the fruit from his contractors. It has an engaging bouquet with a gorgeous red cherry and strawberry bouquet laced with violets. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red and black fruit, quite a good backbone for a village cru partly from whole bunch (50+%) with a detailed finish. Recommended. [89-91, Neal Martin – December 2017, robertparker.com]
