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Product Information: The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Baudines has a bit more flesh and opulence than usual thanks to a warmer, dry season and about One-third new oak this release. An excellent, mineral example of the terroir. The 3.6-hectare Les Baudines vineyard sits up high on the slope, near the tree line on the southwestern border of Chassagne. It’s essentially a continuation of Les Embazées but sits higher on the hillside, on poorer soil, with a higher limestone content. It’s a very cool site with primarily white, rocky clay soils—a terroir perfectly aligned with Leroux’s desire to produce fine-boned, chiselled Chassagne. Leroux’s vines were planted in the 1980s. 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 - Orchard Blossoms, Lemon, Toast Inviting richness on the nose, White fruits. light cedary spice. Palate - White Fruits, Nutty, Spicy Rich and toasty on the palate, nutty and spicy, quite marked by the oak but still has lovely fruit at the core. Finish - Lemon Juice, Piercing Stone Minerals, Linear Lemon juices, Stony Minerals, driven by fresh acid line.

Product Information: Leroux's awareness of the rising importance of higher vineyards due to climate change is paying off. The Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce Sous Le Bois is now the flagship wine for Ben. Ripe apples rise from the glass, a light lemon rinse, then a very steely core through the middle, rippling and full of energy through to the long mineral finish. This is now a flagship wine for Ben, who works 1.5 of the 2.2 hectares of Chardonnay available. Leroux vines average 50 years old and are biodynamically certified. While it lies at high altitude (320 to 350 metres) and endures bitterly cold winters, the vineyard picks up plenty of sun during the summer. 2022 is a stunning fit for this beautiful vineyard. You have the silky ripeness of the year countered by spicy, mineral grip. Listening to Leroux talk about Blagny, he clearly loves the “Saint Aubin-style” terroir. He used various aging vessels for this release, including a glass Wine Globe and new egg-shaped foudre. 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 - Ripe Apples, White Fruits, Stony Ripe apples, a light lemon rinse, and a bit of sizzled butter. Palate - Light Lemon Rinse, Steely, Racy Good tension. Steely core of stonefruits and zesty citrus, racy and full of energy. Finish - Tense, Spice, Fine Finish A lightly buttery note from the oak, toasted almonds and flashes of minerality. “Clear pale lemon. Ripe apples, a light lemon rinse, then a very steely core through the middle, full of energy, racy and stylish at the same time, with a fine long finish. Racked to foudre to finish its elevage.” 92-94 points, Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy

One of the longest-lived white wines in France, the extremely rare M.Chapoutier Ermitage de lOrée is a single varietal Marsanne sourced from a single vineyard Murets plot at the eastern edge of the Hill of Hermitage. Orée means edge in French and is also a reference to the colour of the wine as or in French means gold. Rich, full-bodied and immensely complex, Ermitage de lOrée has the structure and concentration to age often well beyond 50 years.

The parcels which makes up the Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières lie at the very heart of the villages great 1ers Crus hillside. Here the soil is clay/limestone with a subsoil that varies between fallen rock, volcanic rock and white limestone. The wine is a fine example of the Meursault style with great finesse, mineral notes, opulence and a beautiful finish that never becomes heavy.

DOMAINE LUCIEN LE MOINE 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes, Chassagne-Montrachet Lucien Le Moine is a unique négocianthaute couture is often how they are described. Husband and wife, Mounir and Rotem Saouma source small parcels of wine from many producers. Their contribution to the wine is in the elevage, esoteric regime which changes each vintage relying on Mounirs sensory talents forged in a Trappist monastery in Lebanon and honed in their vaulted cellars in the Cote dOr. Working with the best (Jupilles, FRA), fine-grained new oak, the Saoumas produce a staggering number of Grands and 1er Crus cuvees.