A fine cuvée chez Leroux is the 2019 Auxey-Duresses Blanc, a lovely wine that opens in the glass with notes of pear, linden blossom, beeswax, white flowers and green pineapple. Medium-bodied, chalky and incisive, it's an elegant middleweight that's built around lively acids and good structuring dry extract.

The 2016 Auxey Duresses Blanc comes mostly from the Meursault side of the appellation. It has quite a concentrated bouquet with a tincture of yellow flowers infusing the citrus fruit, later hazelnut developing with time. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, harmonious and poised with just a tang of spice on the finish. Recommended.

The 2014 Auxey-Duresses Blanc has a clean and fresh nose with citrus peel and a “cheeky” touch of mint that comes through with aeration. It is quite a vivacious bouquet. The palate is well balanced, waxy in texture with a dab of dried apricot and lemon curd furnishing the finish. Not bad at all.

The 2013 Auxey-Duresses Village has a simple, quite earthy bouquet with light resinous scents flanking the citrus fruit. The palate is crisp but simple, a keen line of acidity, but it feels a little anonymous on the finish.

The 2012 Auxey-Duresses Village Blanc, which was affected by hail (50% of the crop bit the dust), is more reticent on the nose at the moment, with attractive granite and fume scents emerging with time and lending it a Puligny-like allure. The palate is medium-bodied with a pleasing fatness on the entry. There are light honeyed fruit intermingled with peach and quince that dovetail into a pert, though slightly brusque nutty finish. Fine. There is one vigneron pleased about the late running of the 2013 harvest more than any other – Benjamin Leroux. “I had my third baby two weeks ago,” he reveals, though he looks in unnaturally fine fettle given the sleepless nights he must surely be enduring. I met Benjamin at his winery located just off the Beaune ring road opposite Albert Bichot and Domaine des Croix. Here he vinifies all his negociant wines that are labeled under his name, and when he is not there, you will probably find him down in Domaine Comte Armand, where he has been responsible for recent vintages. He shares the facility with Nicolas Rossignol, whose wines I tasted directly afterwards. Those wishing to glean more information on Leroux’s background should peruse the article I wrote in the August issue of The Wine Advocate concerning Clos des Epeneaux. He told me that he will bottle his 2012s relatively early this year and, in fact, several were already under cork. Like practically everyone, his crops are depleted in 2012 depending upon the area, up to 80% in the worst affected by frost and hail. The samples that I tasted were either in bottle (wines with single figure scores) or in barrel just after malo-lactic but before racking (given by banded scores). Generally, these constituted an outstanding set of wines, albeit often in miniscule quantities, which is why some of the cuvees are exclusive to certain markets (for example, you will have to go to Hong Kong to find his elusive Clos Saint Denis.) While the grand crus could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with many growers, readers should check out some of his over-performing Village and Premier Crus, particularly the former that were bolstered by the blending of the latter due to depletion of crop. Importer: Becky Wasserman Selection (Le Serbet) and through various US importers (see www.leserbet.com for full list.)