2012 Benjamin Leroux Chassagne-Montrachet Les Embazées

Maison Benjamin Leroux in Beaune was started in 2007 by Benjamin Leroux, one of the most admired young winemakers in Burgundy. Leroux became winemaker and manager at prestigious Domaine Comte Armand starting in 1999, when he was not yet 30, but he wanted his own label. With several investors he started his negociant business by taking over a section of the 19th century Jaboulet-Vercherre winery in Beaune. He owns and leases vineyards, and makes one monopole, Volnay Premier Cru Clos de les Caves. Since Leroux is often working with very small leased parcels, he makes several dozen wines, often ending up with a single barrel of less of particular cuvee. In 2014 he quit his job at Comte Armand. His wines earn compliments from reviewers, including a 2014 Wine Advocate review: “Suffice to say that this is a strong set of wines from a very talented winemaker…whose comprehensive portfolio spans much of Burgundy,(with each wine) translating the leitmotifs of their respective terroirs with style and panache.

Chassagne-Montrachet is the appellation that covers the communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Remigny, and it is the southern-most of the Côte d’Or’s three great white wine appellations of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. With 1,200 acres of vineyards, it is one of the largest appellations in the region, and more than half the vineyard acreage is Grand Cru or Premier Cru. The three famous Grand Crus are Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. There are also 16 main Premiers Crus, most of them considered very high quality, and village wines. One fact rarely noted is that historically the appellation produced more red than white wine. In the late 1990s the ratio of white to red wines changed, however, as more vineyards were converted from Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, a logical decision given the acclaim of the appellation’s whites. There are still intriguing red wines produced. Clive Coates wrote that the appellation’s white wines generally are “full and firm, more akin to Puligny than to the softer, rounder wines of Meursault.”

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.