Richard Leroy came to winemaking without a family background in the trade. He studied economics and worked in banking in Paris, where he also ran a tasting circle called Grains Nobles. In 1996 he and his wife Sophie bought two hectares of Chenin Blanc vines in Rablay-sur-Layon, land that had previously been sold to a cooperative. He added a further 0.7 hectares in 2000, bringing the property to around 2.7 hectares.

Leroy has farmed organically since his first vintage and gained certification in 2002. He grows Chenin Blanc only, keeps yields low and picks parcel by parcel to avoid overripe or botrytis-affected fruit on the plots destined for dry wine. His key parcels are Clos des Rouliers and Les Noëls de Montbenault, the latter on volcanic soil. After disagreements with the INAO over his approach to production, he left the Anjou and Coteaux du Layon appellations and now bottles his wines as Vin de France. The 2011 graphic novel Les Ignorants, by Étienne Davodeau, follows his work and introduced him to readers beyond the wine trade.

At Dynamic Cellars, the range from Richard Leroy spans several vintages of Les Noëls de Montbenault, from 2003 to 2009, alongside Les Rouliers 2009 and a 1997 Sélection de Grains Nobles from Coteaux du Layon. Explore them among our Loire Valley wines, white wines and organic wines, or browse our collector wines for the oldest bottlings.