2022 Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets, Burgundy

92-94 points Jasper Morris MW insideburgundy.com

There’s an old saying in Burgundy that goes: “If you have not drunk Caillerets, you don't know Volnay.” Leroux could hardly conceal his excitement when he first told us he had access to a parcel of vines in this famous site, which he calls the ‘King of Volnay’. That excitement has certainly been borne out in the wines released so far.

Bordering 1er Cru Les Santenots to the south and En Champans to the north, Caillerets is a beautifully exposed terroir that sits mid-slope and is exploited by important growers such as d’Angerville, Lafarge and Pousse d’Or. The 14-odd-hectare vineyard is subdivided into three lieux-dits, with Leroux now farming 0.5 hectares of Pinot Fin (planted in 1945, 1985 and the late ‘90s) in the area known as Caillerets-Dessus. Crafted with a high proportion of whole bunches (60 to 70%; only the fruit from the youngest vines was destemmed), the wine aged in roughly one-quarter new oak. A brilliant wine, deep yet super precise, with great finesse and length.