Domaine Leroy: The 2015s From Bottle
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
Lalou Bize-Leroy’s 2015s are absolutely stellar. The wines capture all of the natural radiance and intensity of the year, but have also retained quite a bit of vibrancy. Above all else, the 2015s faithfully convey the essence of site. I can only describe tasting through the entire collection of bottled 2015s as a viscerally thrilling experience.
“Two thousand-fifteen is clearly a warm, sunny vintage,” Lalou Bize-Leroy explains. “At first, I thought the 2015s might turn out like the 2003s, but over time the wines gained in freshness.” Bize-Leroy describes 2015 as a small crop, although yields were actually average for the estate, at around 16HL per hectare. The wines were bottled in December 2016.
Wood fermentation upright vats in the cellar
Never one to hold back, Bize-Leroy offers her unfiltered, pointed views throughout the tasting. “The differences between Nuits and Vosne (villages) are enormous,” she exclaims, before adding: “this is Burgundy!” The Romanée Saint-Vivant elicits ”she is a magician” while the Clos Vougeot is “a bit severe, like the façade of the château.” But my favorite comment arrives upon seeing my appreciation of the Clos de la Roche. ”You have been tasting too many California wines. You really need to spend more time in Burgundy.” Even after all these years, Mme. Leroy’s passion and total dedication the concepts she holds dear – biodynamics, a steadfast belief in the importance of terroir, and an unrelenting pursuit of quality – remain as strong as I have ever seen. I tasted the wines in this article with Mme. Leroy, her longtime assistant Frédéric Roemer, and her faithful dogs, Sylvain and Nine, during a visit to the domaine in December 2017.
The Village Wines
In the past, Bize-Leroy has sometimes served an entry-level wine like her Coteaux Bourguignons Rouge to help get the palate and mind warmed up. This year, we go straightway to the Pommard Vignots, which is the vinous equivalent of getting in a racecar and going from 0 to 60 in just a few seconds. The 2015 Pommard Les Vignots is outrageously beautiful, not to mention a remarkable wine with which to kick off the tasting. Bold and racy, the 2015 exudes a level of depth and textural richness that is frankly hard to imagine at this level. The Vignots is surprisingly expressive, open and giving today.
Because of the tiny yields in 2015, Leroy bottled a single Nuits-Saint-Georges that includes fruit from Aux Allots, Aux Lavières and Bas de Combe. There is lovely energy and tension to match the wine’s mid-weight personality. Hints of graphite, smoke, plum, black cherry and earthiness add considerable nuance. The 2015 is an attractive wine, but it is also a bit rustic and closed in on itself, especially next to the other wines in this range. Then again, it is young Nuits. Silky and floral, the 2015 Vosne-Romanée Genaivrières is pure grace. The brightness and purity of the fruit is remarkable. All the class and sheer sophistication that is such a signature of Vosne comes through loud and clear.
Leroy’s 2015 Chambolle-Musigny Les Fremières is a wine of pure and total sensuality. Soaring in its aromatic intensity, with bright red berry fruit and the silkiest of tannins, the Fremières embodies all the qualities that make the wines of Chambolle-Musigny so alluring. The Fremières really shines. In this flight of village level wines, the Fremières has a little more of everything.
Lalou Bize-Leroy’s 2015s are absolutely stellar. The wines capture all of the natural radiance and intensity of the year, but have also retained quite a bit of vibrancy. Above all else, the 2015s faithfully convey the essence of site. I can only describe tasting through the entire collection of bottled 2015s as a viscerally thrilling experience.
