The 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots was not picked until 8 October, six days after the penultimate picking. There is some reduction on the nose but there is plenty of fruit behind it. The palate is sweet and candied with kirsch, fig and blood orange, the richness here offset by good acidity. Looking for a more exotic Gevrey? Then come here.

The 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Goulots has a lifted raspberry and crushed strawberry bouquet with a touch of patisserie developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin, a keen thread of acidity and firm backbone. Blackberry and raspberry preserves fan out towards the grippy finish that just needs more persistence, but otherwise this is very fine.

The 2014 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Goulots has another refined bouquet, a little more tension and race compared to the la Perrière, strawberry preserve emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with succulent ripe tannin, a juicy and rounded Gevrey with a long, sweet finish tinctured with blood orange. This is just a lovely Gevrey.

The 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Groulot, from vines just under 20 years old and another parcel around 45 years old, was picked just before the rains hit. It has a floral bouquet that is very expressive at the moment, well defined and seductive. The palate is also well defined with filigree tannins, hints of licorice and peppermint, fanning out wonderfully toward the sensual finish. Both Benjamin and Jean-Marie Fourrier made superb Groulots this year.

The 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Groulot is the debut vintage from Leroux and not a common bottling (Jean-Marie Fourrier is the only other major exponent). It has a vibrant, much more exotic bouquet than the Champeaux, as if it is determined to make an impression from barrel. The palate is sweet, ripe and fleshy with succulent tannins and palpable sucrose on the finish. One of those that like a little opulence in their Gevreys! 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.)