2015 Benjamin Leroux, Chambertin Grand Cru

(50% new oak; vinified with two-thirds whole clusters): Healthy medium red. Knockout nose combines musky raspberry and complex soil tones. Began a bit monolithic on the palate, but aeration brought an increasingly silky texture and a captivating blend of raspberry and crushed rock lifted by spices. Still youthfully tight, this rather saline Chambertin is just beginning to express itself. Finishes with serious tannins and outstanding length. One can feel the power here, but this very tactile wine is quite unevolved. The finish offers terrific definition and lift.

The 2015 Chambertin Grand Cru has an elegant bouquet with crushed strawberry, cranberry and rose petal aromas, later a tang of sea spray lending more complexity and intrigue. It felt more like a Clos-de-Bèze in style. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe and succulent tannin, superb salinity with a masculine and structured finish that will need 4-6 years to reach its drinking plateau. This is a very refined, quite aristocratic Chambertin with longevity inbuilt.