2021 Benjamin Leroux Bourgogne Aligoté

WINEMAKER: Benjamin Leroux
REGION: Burgundy, FR
VARIETY: Aligoté
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

As followers of Domaine Comte Armand will know, Leroux has a long history with this variety. This year, Leroux went back to his historical source in Bouzeron to supplement his own vines; a parcel of 50-year-old vines in Meursault’s Les Belles Roses climat. The vine material in both vineyards is of the high-quality, low-yielding Aligoté Doré cultivar. The 2021 fermented and aged in seasoned 12-hectolitre ovals and in glass Wine Globes. Tasted from oak, the wine was more aromatic and racier, while the wine from glass offered more mid-palate density. The blend of the two is a winning formula.

Benjamin Leroux is widely considered to be one of the most gifted and knowledgeable wine growers in all the Côte d’Or. Born and bred in Beaune, Leroux has always been considered 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.

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.