Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 2023

Benjamin Leroux Volnay 1er Cru Santenots comes from a hectare of seventy-year-old estate vines in Les Plures, the vineyard he had wanted to work with for years.

Les Santenots sits on the Meursault side of the Volnay boundary, an oddity of Burgundian law that allows red wine grown there to be sold as Volnay-Santenots while white from the same ground is Meursault. Its clay-rich soils give a firmer, more structured and more overtly iron-scented wine than the silkier Volnay sites further north. Leroux gained access to this one-hectare plot of Estate-owned vines in the lieu-dit Les Plures in 2018, having named Santenots years earlier as the vineyard he most wanted. It was among the first picked in 2023, and 40 per cent of the bunches went whole into the ferment. Leroux describes his Santenots as a full-on reflection of Volnay, valuing the grip and the ferrous character the clay gives.

Firmer than most Volnay, it wants four to six years and then suits roast lamb, beef daube or hard cheese. Serve at 16 to 18°C.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.