2023 Benjamin Leroux Saint-Romain Sous le Château, Burgundy

A little green tint to the colour, with an appetising stony feel to the fresh apple fruit on the nose. Quite intense, with fresh plum as well as the apples, a little more substance at the back of the palate than the Auxey. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.

88-90 points Jasper Morris MW Inside Burgundy

Tucked high above the Côte de Beaune, Saint Romain brings a cooler, more tensile edge to Chardonnay, and Benjamin Leroux is one of the best at capturing that alpine feel without losing texture. Sous le Château sits on limestone rich soils just below the cliffs, giving the wine both lift and a firm mineral backbone.

The 2023 opens with a bright, almost breezy aromatic profile, lemon zest, green apple and white peach, with a hint of crushed stone and a faint floral note. There’s a quiet savoury layer too, almond and a touch of spice, but everything feels tightly coiled rather than broad.

That tension carries straight onto the palate. It’s medium bodied but feels lighter on its feet, driven by a clean, precise line of acidity. Citrus and orchard fruit glide through before the wine pulls tight, finishing long and chalky with a distinctly mineral edge. There’s just enough lees texture to soften the corners without blurring the line.

Leroux’s style is all about balance and transparency, gentle extraction, careful oak and a real respect for site, and it shows here in the clarity of the wine.

This is made for clean, sharp flavours. Oysters with a squeeze of lemon, sashimi, or grilled whiting with herbs all feel right. It also handles dishes like prawn and chilli pasta, a simple roast chicken, or even a crisp potato dish with plenty of salt, where the acidity keeps everything bright and focused.

Already very appealing, but it will tighten and build more complexity over the next five to eight years.