Variety: Chardonnay

Forging one’s own path is tough enough with a blank slate. Forging one’s own path in a place like Burgundy, with its rich family histories and formidable reputation is a Burgundian feat in itself, reminding us to recognize where you are and seeing potential. Not coming from a winemaking family, that is exactly what Benjamin Leroux has done with his domaine. Born and raised in Burgundy, he grew up running around his mother’s floral shop. It was there as a young boy that he by chance met wine geek extraordinaire Becky Wasserman, who was buying flowers at the time. This only strengthened his desire to become a vigneron in his home region.

True to his word he began his studies locally at age 15. Taking to it, his education continued abroad in New Zealand, Bordeaux and at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon, Louis Jadot in Beaune, and Comte Armand in Pommard, where he was named technical director and manager at the age of 24! He founded his own domaine and négoce in 2007 after fifteen years at Comte Armand.

The Leroux estate farms about 8 hectares, but draws from over 30 hectares total spanning the Côte from Chassagne-Montrachet to Gevrey-Chambertin to produce these hidden gems. Leroux is a “small is beautiful” type of thinker. His reputation is that of prioritizing what he finds interesting about a parcel over its historical fame or popularity. He has discovered fantastic terroirs either long forgotten or undiscovered, a unique and rewarding approach for a domaine just establishing itself as a formidable entity in Burgundy viticulture.