2022 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Cave des Ducs, Burgundy

The 2022 Volnay Clos de la Cave des Ducs 1er Cru has a more expressive bouquet than the Les Mitans: vivid red cherry and crushed strawberry aromas, lively and energetic. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly peppery entry, so you would assume there were more than 10-15% stems. Slightly vegetal and quite penetrating with a persistent finish, it's not a crowd-pleaser, but I find this cerebral.

91-93 points Neal Martin vinous.com

 The supple texture up-front is followed up by a light crispness, a taffeta note; delicately done. Stretches into quite a mineral finish, pure and precise.

 94-95 points Sarah Marsh MW The World of Fine Wine

One of the signature cuvées of the Leroux stable, Clos de la Cave des Ducs is a 0.64-hectare monopole owned by the family of Leroux’s right-hand man, Jean-Charles Carré. It’s a wine that was rarely seen before Leroux started bottling this site in 2007. It’s Volnay’s highest 1er Cru and features fine, light soils. The vines are up to 80 years old (an average age of 50) and include some 20-year-old mass-selection vines sourced from Comte Armand’s Clos des Epeneaux. The site is managed biodynamically and with meticulous care—Carré and Leroux test their most progressive viticulture here. Leroux has noted that recent harvests have seen the clos move towards a finer, more floral expression, and this is precisely what you get in 2022. Fermented mostly as whole berries, expect a striking synthesis of silky, floral-edged fruit with terrific freshness and drive. A real beauty.