Benjamin Leroux

Benjamin Leroux was born in Beaune in 1975 – not into a winemaking family, but into a household that ran a flower shop in the heart of the wine town. Even so, he chose wine while still a teenager: at the age of 15 he enrolled at the renowned Lycée Viticole in Beaune – in 1990, an unusual choice for someone without a winemaking background or land of his own.

His training took him into the world of fine wine: an internship with Pascal Marchand in Burgundy, a harvest at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon, a period at Cos d'Estournel in Bordeaux and a position at Louis Jadot in Beaune. His decisive step came at just 24 years old: in 1999 he became technical director and general manager of Domaine du Comte Armand in Pommard – one of Burgundy's most highly regarded estates.

For fifteen vintages, Leroux helped shape the profile of Comte Armand. In 2007, he eventually founded his own domaine and négociant business in Beaune – initially without vineyards of his own, but with a clear vision. He acquired his first vineyard in 2009 – fittingly, 0.16 hectares in the Grand Cru Bâtard-Montrachet. In 2013, a further 3.5 hectares in Meursault followed, and since then the domaine has grown to around 8 hectares.

Benjamin Leroux follows a philosophy of deliberate minimalism, deep respect for terroir and a consistent ecological approach. His domaine vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically, with official organic certification obtained in 2016. Purchased grapes come exclusively from growers using sustainable, organic or biodynamic farming methods.

In the cellar, Leroux relies on spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, low SO₂ levels, minimal fining and filtration, and a differentiated ageing approach using barrels, foudres, amphorae and glass “Wine Globes”. The proportion of new oak is limited to a maximum of 30%. Renowned critic Allen Meadows described him as “one of, if not the most talented young winemaker in all of Burgundy.”

The heart of Domaine Benjamin Leroux lies on the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy, France. The vineyards span a broad range of terroirs – from the limestone-rich slopes of Meursault and the marly soils of Chassagne-Montrachet to the complex subsoils around Pommard and Volnay.

The Côte de Beaune is renowned worldwide for its great Chardonnay white wines, including Grands Crus such as Corton-Charlemagne and Bâtard-Montrachet, among the most sought-after French wines in the world. At the same time, it produces outstanding Pinot Noir red wines, notably from Pommard and Volnay. The négociant business extends the range into the Côte de Nuits – to Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The three grape varieties grown are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Aligoté.

The portfolio of Domaine Benjamin Leroux covers every quality level of Burgundy – from approachable regional wines to some of France's most sought-after Grands Crus.

White wines
Chardonnay & Aligoté

The domaine's flagships include the Meursault Premier Crus – above all Les Genevrières Dessous and Genevrières Dessus, as well as Le Porusot. Among the red wines, Leroux shines with a selection of Premier Crus that reflects the full Côte d'Or: Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets, Les Mitans and the monopole Clos de la Cave des Ducs, Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens-Hauts and Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Au Dessus des Malconsorts. The Grand Cru line-up includes Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche, Bonnes-Mares, Clos Saint-Denis, Échezeaux and Clos de Vougeot.