My tasting chez Leroux, at the winery just behind Bichot on the Beaune ring road, is often one of the lengthiest, since Benjamin Leroux oversees such a wide-ranging portfolio. This year, my workload was halved, as Stephen Tanzer tasted and reported on the whites. Still, the full complement of reds demands more than two hours. Surveying the barrel cellar now, it seems difficult to believe that up until three or four years ago, Leroux shared this facility with Nicolas Rossignol. Of course, Rossignol’s move to his own winery gave Leroux more space, and one advantage is that he can barrel down longer if he wishes. Another advantage is that there is room for oval foudres, a vessel uncommon in Burgundy, which is surprising, since I find it complements Pinot Noir. NEAL MARTIN