Wine Advisor
Benjamin Leroux, Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Murgers Des Dents De Chien 2012
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Description
About the Producer
Located in the Cote de Beaune region of Burgundy, France, Maison Benjamin Leroux is a small boutique winery in the region. Established in 2007, Benjamin Leroux is a very young winery, but the owner, Benjamin Leroux, has a lot to live up to. Benjamin does not come from a family of winemakers, but from his childhood he set out to become a winemaker. He entered the Lycee Viticole de Beaune at the age of 13, went on to obtain a degree in oenology at the University of Dijon and was head winemaker at Domaine Comte Armand from the age of 26. With a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the terroir of the vineyards of the Côte de Bern and a strong sense of innovation in winemaking, Benjamin has been hailed by the renowned wine critic Allen Meadows not only as one of the most talented and gifted winemakers in the region, but also as the most likely successor to Henri Jayer, the master winemaker of Burgundy. The number of vineyards owned by Château Benjamin Le Hu is small and most of the grapes used to make the wine are purchased from other vineyards. Benjamin's aim is to produce wines of comparable quality to those of the great estates without owning a large number of vineyards, and to this end he sets high standards for the vintners he works with, most of whom he has known for many years, who practice organic or biodynamic farming, and who grow grapes of consistently high quality. Benjamin also often pays these growers on the basis of acreage rather than yield, giving him absolute control over ripeness, yields and harvest dates. Benjamin also has a knack for discovering lesser-known vineyards with very distinctive terroirs, each of which he treats as a Grand Cru, giving them the same attention and effort as a Grand Cru. At present, Benjamin Le Hu has over 40 wines released. The estate produces around 60,000 bottles a year, of which two, Auxey-Duresses Blanc and Savigny-les-Beaune, alone account for a third, with the majority of the rest being produced in quantities of only 600-1,500 bottles. The wines produced by the estate are well balanced and expressive, and are favoured by critics and consumers alike.
