Kategorie: Richard Leroy
Richard and Sophie left their life in Paris behind in 1996 to purchase 2 hectares of vines at Les Noëls de Montbenault, initially intending to produce botrytized, noble rot wines. The years 1996 and 1997 were successful, but a rainy autumn in 1998 ruined any chance of noble rot developing, and Richard ended up producing no wine that year. While tasting wines in the region, he discovered that Mark Angéli had crafted impressive dry wines in 1998. This realization led Richard to reconsider his approach, deciding that producing dry wines from this exceptional terroir was the most reliable way to sustain the vineyard. After producing his last sweet wine in 2005, Richard shifted his focus entirely to creating two outstanding dry whites from his small 2.7-hectare vineyard.
Everything Richard does stems from years of hard-earned experience and a willingness to learn from scratch, without any preconceived notions. Both he and Sophie are true wine enthusiasts, with a passion for tasting and exploring wines from around the world. They love sharing their discoveries with fellow growers, friends, and customers, always eager to learn from every experience and interaction.
In the 2000s, Richard observed that many white Burgundies he tasted were unstable, despite containing extraordinarily high levels of sulfur (with 140mg/l still being the norm today). When he opened young Burgundies and tasted them over the course of a week, he noticed they quickly lost their vitality, even after just one day. This led him to question the common problem of premature oxidation (premox) in older white Burgundies.
Richard had always used minimal amounts of sulfur (just 10mg/l until 2010), but due to the density and structure of his wines, he decided to eliminate sulfur altogether starting in 2011. Through comparison, he found that wines aged in new barrels, as opposed to those in second-hand barrels impregnated with sulfur from previous uses, exhibited greater purity and finesse. This convinced him that aging his wines in new barrels was the best approach. He now exclusively uses new barrels, which he keeps for 7-8 years, sourced from coopers who can guarantee neutral flavors and aromas.
