Richard Leroy, Les Noels De Montbenault, 2018

A true master vigneron and one of the most sought after winemakers in the Loire. Everything that Richard does is a result of hard-earned experience and starting from scratch, he had no pre-conceptions. He and Sophie are real wine lovers, tasting and drinking widely from all around the world, sharing with other growers, friends and customers alike, and looking to learn from everything they do and everyone they meet in their work. Richard has always worked with micro levels of sulphur (10mg/l until 2010) but such is the density and structure in his wines that he decided to cut sulphur out altogether from 2011. Comparing his wine in barrels bought from new with the same wine in barrels bought second-hand – and impregnated with sulphur from previous uses – he noticed an extra level of purity and finesse in the wines aged in new barrels that convinced him this was the only viable option. He now ages all his wines in barrels bought new – which he keeps for up to 7-8 years – from tonneliers who can guarantee the neutrality of flavour and aromatics. Working without sulphur provides many trials and tribulations, and as another example of the depth of his work, recently Richard has done many micro-experiments with vinification and élevage, seeking to get to the bottom of the phenomenon that can cause a ‘mousy' character on the palate. Science on the phenomenon has not yet been established, so it's only by setting parameters and then actually trying