Domaine Leroy is a vineyard estate which produces

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

. The winery is located in the wine producing village of Auxey-Duresses. The winery is split between negociant label Maison Leroy and wines of their own vineyards called Domaine Leroy. The domaine has always produced

biodynamic wine Biodynamic wines are wines made employing the pseudo-scientific methods called biodynamic both to grow the fruit and during the post-harvest processing. Biodynamic wine production uses organic farming methods (''e.g.,'' employing compost as fer ...

, and is certified by

ECOCERT ECOCERT is an organic certification organization, founded in France in 1991. It is based in Europe but conducts inspections in over 80 countries, making it one of the largest operations of its kind in the world. ECOCERT's co-founder and CEO is ...

.Domaine Leroy
Berry Bros. & Rudd, 3

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London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Lalou Bize-Leroy of Domaine Leroy also owns a quarter of

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, often abbreviated to DRC, is an estate in Burgundy, France that produces white and red wine. It is widely considered among the world's greatest wine producers, and DRC bottles are among the world's most expensive. ...

. The domaine has 23 hectares of vines, mostly

Premier Cru Cru is a wine Glossary of wine terms, term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French language, French word which was originally used to refer to both a region and anything grown in it, but is now mostly used t ...

and Grand Cru classified. Lalou Bize-Leroy became the managing director of the winery in 1971. As a wine producer, Domaine Leroy is regarded as one of the most sought after, rare and expensive wines in Burgundy's

Côte d'Or Côte Restaurants Group Limited, trading as Côte (formerly Côte Brasserie), stylised as CÔTE is a French-style British restaurant chain founded by Richard Caring, Andy Bassadone, Chris Benians and Nick Fiddler in Wimbledon, London Wimbl ...

and the world. For example, a recent vintage bottlings of Leroy's Musigny Grand Cru red wine made from pinot noir exceed tens of thousands of dollars per bottle.

History of the estate

Domaine Leroy's history traces back to at least 1868, when François Leroy established a negociant business ''Maison Leroy'' in the village of Auxey-Duresses, a wine producing village close to

Meursault Meursault () is a Communes of France, commune in the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Etymology The oldest attested form of the toponym Meursault dates from 1094, as ''Mura ...

. The wine portfolio was expanded by Francois' son Joseph Leroy. Joseph Leroy's son Henri was a crucial player at the estate's helms in the early-to-mid 20th-century, entering the winery's hands in 1919. As a wine merchant, Joseph Leroy developed close business ties with the famed Domaine de la Romanee Conti and its ownership pair of director Edmond Gaudin de Villaine and brother-in-law Jacques Chambon. With the expansion of business ties and Domaine de la Romanee Conti's financial difficulties in the early 1940s, Joseph Leroy bought Chambon's share (equal to 50% of the Domaine's holdings and ownership) in 1942. Lalou Bize-Leroy joined the winery as managing director in 1971. In 1988, Bize-Leroy expanded the Domaine and bought Charles Nöellat's holdings, subsequently establishing the Domaine Leroy, which focused on wines produced in the domaine's own holdings. Since then, the Domaine holdings have been farmed biodynamically, and Bize-Leroy's role with biodynamic viticulture have labelled her a pioneer in the field.

Wine parcel holdings and bottlings

Domaine Leroy is known for its tiny quantity of wines produced in well-regarded and prestigious premier and grand crus of Burgundy's AOCs. The winery cultivates roughly 22 hectares of vines, with an annual production of roughly 40000 bottles, depending on the vintage. Leroy bottles some of the most prestigious vineyard parcels in Burgundy, including the grand crus of

Chambertin Chambertin is an ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) and Grand cru (wine), Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy wine, Burgundy, with Pinot noir as the main grape variety. Chambertin is located within ...

, Musigny, Richebourg,

Clos de Vougeot Clos de Vougeot, also known as Clos Vougeot, is a wall-enclosed vineyard, a ''Clos (vineyard), clos'', in the Burgundy wine region, and an ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) for red wine from this vineyard. It was named for the River V ...

, Romanee Saint-Vivant,

Clos de la Roche Clos de la Roche is an ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot noir as the main grape variety. K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 191-195 Workman Publishing 2001 It is situated in t ...

and Corton Charlemagne as well as premier crus Beaux Monts, Les Narbantons and Les Perrieres.

References

{{Coord, 47.1558, 4.9559, display=title Wineries of France Burgundy wine