Product Information:
Fresh to the lineup is the Gevrey-Chambertin 'En Champs'. Previously blended into Gevrey villages, but after three vintages of blending it away, its quality finally convinced Leroux to bottle it separately. In 2022, he bottled five barrels as its own cuvée. En Champs is a deeper, more serious and ferrous wine than the main village bottling. There’s lovely, high-toned fruit, loads of spice, and very fine tannins on the finish. A lot more detail for just a pinch extra.
Close to the Brochon borderline, En Champs is located high up on the slope, just beneath the 1er Cru Champeaux at the northern end of what is sometimes called the ‘Côte Saint-Jacques’. Some followers of Domaine Denis Mortet will have had outstanding examples of this high-grown terroir in the past. The soils here are very stony with red clays, and the cooling winds and altitude moderate the climate. It was fermented with 40 to 50% bunches.
From a season of contradictions. William Kelley writes, 'the 2022 vintage is proof that Burgundy hasn’t lost its capacity to surprise. How could the hottest, driest vintage since 1947 deliver wines so succulent, suave and charming?'
Every wine critically reviewed was outstanding for its appellation. The whites offer freshness, density and the site transparency that we love from top Burgundy. While the red Burgundies purr with succulent textures, elegant tannins and appetising freshness. And although 2022 was a ripe year, the finesse and balance are extraordinary across the range. After the challenging, low-yielding 2021 season, 2022's warm, dry, and sunny conditions were a blessing for Burgundy’s vignerons. The success of season was owed to reasonable yields, cool nights and a couple of good rain events at critical periods. All factors that lead to beautiful balanced fruit with excellent vibrancy and freshness throughout.
Maker:
Lauded wine critic, Jancis Robinson boldly compares young Benjamin Leroux to the legendary Henri Jayer, 'You may remember that when I asked Allen Meadows, aka Burghound, 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.' Henri Jayer is synonymous with Burgundy and remains one of the most revered wine personalities of the 20th century.
If Jayer is the undisputed king of Burgundy, then Benjamin Leroux is emerging as his rightful heir. Leroux shares Jayer's perfectionism and diligence, with a remarkable ability to uncover potential in challenging sites. His meticulous vineyard and cellar techniques ensure that each wine reflects a steadfast commitment to quality, much like his revered predecessor.
Born and bred in Beaune, Leroux was a prodigy, studying at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune from age 15 and taking the reins at the esteemed Domaine Comte Armand when he was just 24. Leroux would stay at Comte Armand for fifteen vintages, while simultaneously launching his eponymous négociant operation in 2007. By 2014 Leroux left Comte Armand—in great shape, to concentrate on his personal venture. The first stage of his evolution allowed him to establish the winery (in the old Jaboulet-Vercherre premises off the Beaune périphérique) and refine his ideas and understanding of the terroirs with which he wanted to work. The way Leroux structured this side of his business was highly innovative. His aim was to create the same quality standards of the finest domaines, despite not owning most of the vineyards.
In tandem with his excelling négociant business, Leroux has quietly been building up his family’s impressive domaine holdings, which now run to eight hectares. Though he worked these vineyards organically and biodynamically from the beginning, it took him several years to apply for organic certification, which came in 2016. Ben’s first vineyard purchase was a 0.16-hectare slice of Batard-Montrachet in 2009, though most of Leroux’s white vineyards lie in Meursault and top-tier parcels in Genevrières-Dessus and Charmes-Dessus. For the reds he farms his beloved Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce Sous le Bois, in Volnay Santenots and there are a number of small parcels in Vosne-Romanée. These wines are a reminder of why people buy, drink and obsess over great Burgundy.
The Philosophy:
Ben has long-term relationships with the growers he works with, some of which he pays by land area 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 five years.
Like the greats before him, Leroux’s knowledge of the Côte is encyclopaedic, and he has unearthed some very exciting, previously less well-known terroirs for his portfolio. It’s important not to underestimate how close Leroux works with these growers, as that is one of the keys to his ability to coax the finest fruit quality from the vineyards. He never buys juice or finished wine, only fruit; he nominates the harvest dates and will pick himself if necessary.
In terms of winemaking, this has been one of the most dynamic cellars on the Côte for fifteen years. Leroux works with some 50 appellations, and every wine has its own bespoke treatment according to the conditions of each vintage. This makes it difficult—and sometimes misleading—to generalise about the winemaking. We can say that the cellar is using more and more 600-litre, 1200-litre, and even larger casks for the whites; and more 450-litre to 600-litre barrels for the reds. In regards to wholebunch, generalising is like trying to hit a moving target: in any given year, Leroux works with between 0% and 90%. It depends on what's right for the fruit.
Antonio Galloni gives high praise, stating, 'Benjamin Leroux is quiet and unassuming, but his wines more than speak for themselves... These are some of the most interesting wines being made in Burgundy today.'
NOSE
Spiced, Heady, Cherry Cola
A rich bouquet of sweet baking spices—nutmeg and coconut—blended with vibrant cherry cola and earthy undertones.
PALATE
Ripe, Silky, Dark Fruit
Lush dark red fruits dominate, with a smooth, slippery texture and added depth from fine tannins.
FINISH
Spiced, Tannic, Elegant
Nutmeg and dark cherries linger, with a subtle sponge cake oak note and a finely structured tannic finish.
There’s some sweet baking spice happening here, coconut, nutmeg, cherry-cola, sweet sponge cake oak, fine tannin, soft but perky too, slippery. Of a richer style but does the job OK and may need time. - Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front, 93+ Points.
Consistently the most interesting of the Brochon side options chez Benjamin, En Champs this year has been given its own cuvée, amounting to five barrels. It is a little headier, with richer dark red fruit, and with an extra tannin or two, so will take more time. - Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy, 91-93 Points
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - France
Region - Burgundy
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%
