Benjamin Leroux

Benjamin Leroux runs a winemaker-negociant house in Beaune, which in Burgundy still carries a faint whiff of suspicion. The assumption is that a negociant buys anonymous wine and blends it. That is not what happens here. He contracts for grapes, often from the same growers year after year, has input into how those vines are worked, and then makes the wine himself in his own cellar. The practical result is a single hand across a spread of appellations that no family domaine could own outright.

The range therefore climbs by address rather than by ambition. Village wines from Gevrey-Chambertin and Meursault sit at the base. Premier crus from Pommard and Meursault follow, then a small number of grand cru bottlings. The winemaking does not change much between tiers; the site does, and so does the quantity available.

The point where money stops buying flavour is fairly clear. Grand cru here rewards patience, not impatience. Opened young, an expensive bottle can taste tighter and less generous than a village wine from the same cellar. If you are drinking tonight, buy down the ladder.

The list below is sorted by price, lowest first.