Benjamin Leroux
Clos de la Cave des Ducs
Volnay
2016

The producer

Benjamin Leroux is a leading Burgundian winemaker, known for his meticulous approach and deep terroir focus. After managing Domaine du Comte Armand in Pommard for over a decade, he launched his own micro-négoce in 2007, sourcing high-quality fruit from trusted growers rather than bulk wine. His portfolio spans village to Grand Cru wines, with a strong presence in Meursault, Volnay, and Gevrey-Chambertin. Leroux prioritizes minimal intervention, precise vinification, and terroir purity, crafting wines that balance elegance and depth.

Leroux employs whole-cluster fermentation for Pinot Noir when vintage conditions allow, enhancing complexity and aromatics. His Chardonnays are gently pressed and fermented in oak, with carefully controlled new oak influence to highlight freshness and minerality. Farming is mostly organic and biodynamic, though not always certified. Known for vibrant acidity, refined structure, and site-driven character, his wines have gained a cult following, cementing his status as one of Burgundy’s top vignerons.

The wine

Clos de la Cave des Ducs is a tiny, walled Premier Cru monopole at the heart of Volnay, spanning just 0.39 hectares and solely managed by Benjamin Leroux. Planted on classic Volnay soils of light clay and limestone over a deep bedrock, the site benefits from excellent drainage and a slightly elevated position that promotes elegance and aromatic lift in the wines. Leroux farms the vineyard organically and works with meticulous care in both vineyard and cellar, often including a portion of whole clusters during fermentation to bring structure and floral complexity. The wine is aged in French oak (around 20–25% new), resulting in a Volnay of remarkable finesse: perfumed with red cherry, rose petal, and violet, underpinned by fine-grained tannins, chalky minerality, and a long, graceful finish that speaks to both the pedigree of the site and Leroux’s sensitive, terroir-focused approach.

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.