The 2015 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Allots includes 25% whole bunch fruit and was due to be racked, so the nose was a little disjointed when I tasted it from barrel. The palate shows plenty of succulent ripe black cherry fruit with a touch of blueberry, good structure here with a generous spicy finish. Good potential.

The 2013 Nuits St Georges Aux Allots has an intense, quite opulent bouquet with lavender scents emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red and black fruit, forward and structured, though it needs more flesh and weight to balance the thickset tannin on the finish.

The 2012 Nuits St. Georges Village Aux Allots has a delicate, feminine, understated bouquet with impressive delineation. The palate is ripe and rounded with crisp acidity: light but tensile tannins and a very elegant, nuanced finish that is totally seductive. Very 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.)

The 2010 Nuits St. George Aux Allots once again is open, expressive and quite generous. Layers of dark red fruit caress the palate, followed by floral notes that add lift and a measure of brightness, especially on the finish. This is a silky, juicy style of Nuits. I imagine the wine will drink nicely upon release. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. I continue to be impressed with the wines Benjamin Leroux is making under his own label. Leroux sources fruit from a number of top vineyards in the region. The wines are made in a facility Leroux shares with Nicolas Rossignol in the center of town. Unfortunately the 2010 Bonnes-Mares was too reduced to evaluate. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, imported by Veritas Imports, Beverly Hills, CA; tel. (310) 205-3803, C’Est Vin, District of Columbia; tel. (703) 243-3559, Scott Paul Wines, Oregon; tel. (503) 852-7300, Wines Unlimited, Louisiana; tel. (504) 897-0191

The 2009 Nuits St. George Aux Allots is a generous, fleshy wine loaded with fruit. This isn’t the last word in complexity, but the wine impresses for its total sense of harmony and impeccable overall balance. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Benjamin Leroux is one of Burgundy’s most promising young winemakers. Leroux is best known for the wines he makes at Comte Armand, one of the reference-point properties in the Cote de Beaune. Since 2007 Leroux has made wines under his own label using a micro-negociant model that has become increasingly popular in Burgundy. Leroux sources fruit from some of Burgundy’s top sites and bottles an eye-popping 27 different wines, most in 2-3 barrel lots. I also tasted a number of 2009 whites in addition to these 2009 reds. Readers will find those notes on www.erobertparker.com. The whites are aged in 300-liter barrels. Leroux goes for a tight, mineral-driven style, with no stirring of the lees. Leroux’s passion, ambition and sheer talent have already resulted in a number of stunning, beautiful wines, but my sense is that the best is yet to come. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, imported by Veritas Imports, Beverly Hills, CA; tel. (310) 205-3803, C’Est Vin, District of Columbia; tel. (703) 243-3559, Scott Paul Wines, Oregon; tel. (503) 852-7300, Wines Unlimited, Louisiana; tel. (504) 897-0191