The nose is frankly extra-ordinary; gorgeous fruit in the middle, a depth of soil supporting it and a majestic floral perfume above – I don’t care about the label, it can’t get better than this. Round and full, with exquisite balance. For it’s age, close to perfect wine…
Leroy
2008 Leroy Romanée Saint-Vivant
2007 Leroy Chambertin
1999 Leroy Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Narbantons
The cork is soaked through with wine and splits in half while trying to extract. A medium, medium-plus young colour. The nose starts quite oaky, though slowly it fades to leave heavier and heavier young fruit notes. In the mouth it starts with grainy tannin and a little spritz but it’s followed by a lovely impression of damson/plum fruit and a super length. The fruit continues to blossom, becoming cleaner and fresher though this is clearly a Leroy wine rather than a wine of Savigny. Over time there’s a little mushroom and mineral on the nose, though a quick swirl reveals perfect berry notes.
2003 Leroy Pommard Les Vignots
Deep cherry-red – only slighty paler than the 03 Dugat-Py. The nose is rounder and more forward than the D-P, just a little reduced at the start but there’s lots of disparate complexity. Somehow the palate is also less ‘together’ than the D-P; it’s fresher, got more tannin and lots of coffee-bean in the mouth – significantly more apparent complexity but like the nose, little apparent cohesion. Longer than the D-P; if all the parts come together this could be a very, very good wine.
2000 Leroy Pommard Trois Follots
Medium, medium-plus ruby-red. That characteristic Leroy nose (how do they do that?) of well integrated oak set against wild red fruit, almost confiture and rose petals. The fruit is red-coloured and like the other 2000’s quite tannin-forward. It’s as long as the JM Boillot Jarollières 1er cru, riper but less complex. You are left with a smooth coating on your teeth as a reminder.
It’s not really possible to criticise such an accomplished villages wine – really excellent.
2004 Leroy Bourgogne Rouge
Medium-pale colour – surprisingly pale considering it contains (lots of) Grand Cru juice. The nose is fantasticly penetrating and floral, eventually turning very smoky from a high percentage of stems. The palate is lithe and athletic, perhaps a little thin for the forward acidity. I really expected more intensity given the provenance of this wine. A fantastic nose, in the end it really reminded me of Dujac’s ‘95 Clos de la Roche, but for this bottle the palate has a lot of catching up to do. The nose compelled me to buy a couple of bottles but I’m still not convinced of the value.
2004 Leroy Vosne-Romanée
Medium colour. A smokey and wide though less intense nose than the Bourgogne; it does deepen with time and shows real (if understated) complexity. Versus the Bourgogne there is a perceptible extra density and length, the acidity is more fully covered. There is just a hint of bitterness though no astringency to the tannin. Long, long, long. It is a seriously interesting and complex wine but I find it hard to reconcile that it should contain Richebourg and Romanée St.Vivant – at least Leroy’s! There is some value here I think, though like the Bourgogne, it is the aromatics that excel today.
2003 Leroy Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Narbantons
Deep colour. The nose is dense and tight; there’s a little oak-gilded black fruit, only deepens a little after 25 minutes in the glass. Lower acidity than the 04’s, though quite well balanced. The finish is dominated by toasty oak – though not ashy. After the 04’s this is rather ponderous and extracted – there is also perceptible petillance – but it would be a shame to judge this so young, particularly after the ultra-different 2004’s that preceded it. Revisit when it’s 15 years old, but given the price (3 times the price of the 1999) I won’t be joining the ride!