Description
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. Jan 2009. www.jancisrobinson.com
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. Robert Parker Wine Advocate # 194 May 2011
Benjamin Leroux is quiet and unassuming. but his wines more than speak for themselves. I tasted a wide range of 2010s. but was only able to revisit a handful of 2009 ™s as production is just a barrel or two for most wines. These are some of the most interesting wines being made in Burgundy today. Antonio Galloni. The Wine Advocate
As the Jancis Robinson/Burghound quote above makes clear. Leroux is considered one of the most gifted and knowledgeable wine growers in the whole Cote d ™Or. You just have to ask any serious Bourgogne producer about Leroux to understand 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 will continue to manage Comte Armand despite now having his own range of wines (another sign of how well respected he is). The range is fine tuned “ several grand cru wines are now in barrel for example “ and new vineyard acquisitions will add to the offering. however 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. He actually champions lesser known regions in Burgundy which is refreshing. This makes sense. Leroux ™s knowledge of Burgundy is encyclopedic and producers like him are waking up the wine world to the fact that the reputation of many Cote d ™Or vineyards has as much to do with the producers who work them than any intrinsic qualities of the sites themselves.
Attended his masterclass in Sydney recently and the cat is well and truly out of the bag. Benjamin Leroux ™s 2010 wines were highly impressive. I was very impressed with his Savigny les beaune he sees lots of potential in Savigny and relishes it as a region as it has no pretension! (Preferred these over his Gevrey Chambertin!)
This comes from the La Dominode vineyard in the heart of Haut Jarrons. located on the east facing slope of the hills. Like most of the terrain in the Cote d ‘Or. the soils here are clay/limestone but the clay here is light and stony. This rouge takes it to another level of ripeness. depth and texture than the village. This is ultra fine. deep and dark.pulpy. very expressive Savigny with surprisingly elegant tannins. Highly recommended!
“An earthy. ripe and pretty red and dark berry fruit suffused nose leads to rich and solidly voluminous flavors that possess good character and ample complexity on the balanced if mildly rustic finish. This should reward amply mid term cellaring. ” 88 91 points. Allen Meadows. Burghound Issue 46
RRP $93
