2023 Benjamin Leroux Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce Sous Le Bois

“Benjamin’s whites have been consistently fine over the years, but in 2023 I was particularly struck by the quality of his reds. He seems to have read the vintage just right, to make wines with classy fruit and purity, with enough structure to have some ageing potential.”
- Jasper Morris MW

Overview:
Only five hectares of Pinot Noir remain in Blagny, and Leroux has almost one of them. The vines sit above the Dos de l’Âne in the lower part of the vineyard. Leroux has long beaten the drum for this limestone-rich, high-altitude terroir for both whites and reds. He is only getting more vocal with the changes in the climate! He first vinified a Pinot from here in 2014 and was so enamoured with the quality that he acquired an Estate parcel at the earliest opportunity, in 2017. A band of hail passed through here in June 2023, naturally reducing yields to 45hl/ha. 15% new oak this year.

95 points, Charles Curtis MW, Decanter
Tasted twice, this picked up weight with maturation, showing impressively ripe aromas of blackberry, pomegranate, spice and smoke. The texture is concentrated and tannic, with great persistence on the finish. This marvellous result arrived only with time: first, the vineyard was struck by hail; next, Leroux decided to green harvest, and finally, he went back and dropped more fruit after veraison to ensure proper ripeness, to produce the most complete version of this wine I have tasted.

92-94 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
The 2023 Blagny la Piece Sous Le Bois 1er Cru has a finely delineated, pure, floral-tinged bouquet with iris and violet scents blossoming in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a smooth texture, filigree tannins and a long black cherry and blueberry finish that has real length. Superb.