2016 Benjamin Leroux Vosne-Romanée

Community Tasting Notes (13) Avg Score: 90.4 points

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  2/17/2024 - MaurizioAbba Likes this wine: 95 Points

  Smooth as a snoop dogg rhyme. Leroux is an ascending star who focuses on lower intervention in both cellar and vineyard.
  
  The wine offers a brilliant ruby color, slightly darker than most vosne romanee.
  
  The nose is not intense (medium) and it opens up with the time: the entrance is dominated by classic pinot-noir driven fruit, in a slightly darker version: mulberry rather than raspberry, black cherry rather than the red variety. All fruit is ripe. Underneath, a multiflavored array of spices, both fresh herbs (tarragon, rosemary) and sweeter spices (cinnamon, star anise, clove). Finally, umami-based notes of mushroom and soy sauce. No oak detected, but likely partial whole bunch fermentation. Give it time and the wine will keep evolving in the glass.
  
  The wine starts with a clear acidity (medium+, always rounded. The midpalate offers a robust vein of tannins (medium/medium+), soft and ripe. The mouth is very well round and smooth: the wine widens up in the mouth and the acidity and tannins are well merged to cleanse the palate and make the sip really enjoyable. Alcol is present without ever being detectable (medium, and medium body). In the aftertaste, more sweet spices notes, oriental dried herbs and soy sauce.
  
  This is an amazing product: as mentioned, smoothness is the keyword here. The wine is powerful and yet never excessive, the sip is dense without ever being heavy. A great product and, for the price range, one of the best products you can find.

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  9/7/2023 - Putnam Weekley wrote: 88 Points

  Moving gradually over the last 1-2 years, from Leroux's '17 Gevrey, to '16 NSG, to this, well, it's been a downward slope of satisfaction. All of them are good! But this is barely rousing. Fruit is tidal and saturating, saccharine, and showing signs of exhaustion. Weary erections of herbs and sweet earth play a role. As a complete wine it is fundamentally good, with authentic seasoned tannins that compel action. It's a little woozy, and hotly spiced. It could be possible to identify it properly as a Côte de Nuits. It might be worth 89 points. I saved some to drink tomorrow.
  24 hours later, it fulfills the prognosis we uttered last night—it's fragile. Its poverty of freshness is more acute now, though as it fades it reveals some interesting earth, mushroom, and spice character.

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  5/15/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points

  A private dinner (Restaurant De Lage Vuursche, Lage Vuursche, NL): Much deeper pitch than the Volnay 2019 which accompanied it, black cherries, warm Asian spices and flowers, open and aromatic nose; medium body on the palate, good flavour intensity, savoury notes from the oak; very good resonance and length. Impressive.

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  11/11/2021 - Xavier94 Likes this wine: 92 Points

  91-92; tons of Vosne spice, hoisin mixed with black raspberry/cherry and mineral lift in the mouth. The dark fruit really works well in contrast to the precision of acidity and minerality in this vintage. Open today and starting to show some texture in the mouth. Velvety, spicy mouthfeel. Should develop quite well but the acidity makes this so juicy and attractive for drinking now. Nic.

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  6/29/2020 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Benjamin Leroux in conversation with Jasper Morris MW (Zoom!): Made from two plots on the northern side near Vougeot. Much darker, brighter and fruitier than the Vougeot Clos du Village - fresh but also dark and deep reflecting it's 2/3 whole bunch. Black cherry, a lovely lift and some noticeable tannin. Not obviously a Vosne! Group WOTN

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