2023 BB&R Bourgogne Côte d'Or Pinot Noir by Benjamin Leroux

Bourgogne Rouge and Bourgogne Blanc are terms used to apply to red and white wines from Burgundy that fall under the generic Bourgogne AOC. These wines can be produced by over 350 individual villages across the region. These are very general appellations and thus it is hard to pinpoint specific characteristics of the wines as a whole, due to the huge variety produced.

Around 4,600 acres of land across Burgundy are used to produce Bourgogne Rouge; this is around twice as much as is dedicated towards the production of generic whites.

Pinot Noir is the primary grape used in Bourgogne Rouge production. For Bourgogne Blanc, Chardonnay is the dominant grape variety. Aligoté and other white Burgundian varieties may also be used in small proportions.

Bourgogne Rouge wines tend to be focused and acidic. The fruit is less cloying than in some New World wines also made from Pinot Noir. They develop more floral notes as they age. Bourgogne Blanc wines typically display crisp acidity and mineral characteristics. They often show citrus and green apple flavours when young, developing more complex notes with age.

Although entry-level wines, some Bourgogne Rouges and Blancs can be exquisite depending on the area and producer. They remain at very affordable prices compared to more prestigious Burgundy appellations.

Having created a name for himself as régisseur (general manager) of Domaine du Comte Armand in Pommard, Benjamin Leroux established, with English backing, a small négociant business based in Beaune since 2007. The range is confined to the Côte d’Or, from Chassagne-Montrachet to Gevrey-Chambertin, with the intention of developing farming contracts or indeed purchasing vineyards in the future. The possibilities are very exciting for this exceptionally talented vigneron. Benjamin is a master at delivering purity of fruit alongside a seamless texture in his wines which have only the subtlest influence of oak. One of Benjamin’s favourite locations for white wine vineyards is the border between Auxey-Duresses and Meursault, which is where Les Vireuils can be found. Here the natural weight of Meursault is enhanced by the fresher minerality typical of the side valley of Auxey-Duresses. Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director and author of the award-winning Inside Burgundy comprehensive handbook.Discover the story behind our Own Selection Bourgogne Côte d’Or Pinot Noir, made for us by Benjamin.

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.
Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.

The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.