2019 Benjamin Leroux - Charmes Chambertin

Benjamin Leroux, born and raised in Beaune, trained at the Lycée Viticole from age fifteen and became régisseur of the esteemed Domaine Comte Armand at just twenty-four. He ran that estate for fifteen vintages while quietly launching his own micro-négociant label in 2007, eventually leaving Comte Armand in 2014 to focus fully on his growing venture, based in a shared winery in Beaune with fellow Burgundy star Dominique Lafon. Leroux never purchases juice or finished wine, working only with fruit, and he sets harvest dates himself, picking alongside his growers when needed. Alongside the négociant business he has built his own eight-hectare domaine, farmed organically and biodynamically from the start and certified organic in 2016.

Charmes-Chambertin is a Grand Cru site in Gevrey-Chambertin, on clay-limestone soils bordering Chambertin itself, generally prized for a softer, more perfumed style than its famous neighbor. Leroux ferments with a significant portion of whole clusters, sometimes up to the full bunch depending on the vintage, using indigenous yeasts and capping new oak at around 30 percent, in keeping with his restrained, terroir-focused approach across the range.

The wine shows dark berry fruit layered with tea leaf and forest floor, framed by floral lift and a silky, refined texture. Structured yet approachable, it carries real depth beneath its polish, with potential to develop further complexity over time.