2009 Chassagne Montrachet Les Embrazees

The 2009 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Embrazees is an exotic, full-bodied wine. The rich, oily texture coats the palate from start to finish, while avoiding any sense of heaviness whatsoever. This should continue to develop beautifully for a number of years. Tasted from tank. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. 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. Leroux goes for a tight, mineral-driven style, with no stirring of the lees and ages the whites in 300-liter barrels. 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