Domaine Lignier-Michelot

Rich, glowing purple, the nose is filled with blackberry fruit, yet also a certain strictness. The palate reveals as much red as black fruit, with a good thread of mineral acidity and some tannin; indeed the structure is important with this wealth of fruit.

When Virgile Lignier came back from his brief summer holidays, he toured the vines and saw a bit of rot on a biggish (by recent standards) crop, so he took a substantial team round to remove damaged bunches and anything unripe. He picked the healthy grapes from 17th September and gave the new vintage a long but light extraction. He has made some very succulent, juicy wines here in 2014.

From Les Seuvrées and Es Murots, this is brisk purple with delightful fresh fruit, on the cusp of red and black fruit, and huge energy. There’s a good thread of acidity, finishing on raspberry notes. It’s a delicious wine, in short, though there may be more personality in the Moreys. Drink 2020-2026.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Virgile Lignier began picking on 9th September, bringing in normal yields if a bit below 2014. Virgile reports small berries, an entirely healthy crop, potentially as good as 2005 but with a better quality of tannins. He worked on very careful extraction to manage them, using a bit more whole-cluster (especially with old vines on clay rich soil), longer cuvaison, but no punching down except at the very end of fermentation. He uses 30 percent new wood throughout the cellar.

This sits just underneath Clos de la Roche and bears more than a passing resemblance to its neighbour. The 70-year-old vines produce tiny berries, giving great concentration of luscious blue fruit, plenty of power and a rocky, stony finish. A mini Clos de la Roche. Drink 2023-2030.

Having tasted numerous different wine styles Virgile decided he loves wines made with whole bunches, and has set about changing his winemaking to include a larger proportion each year, arriving now at a stage where he can’t imagine himself using less than 50 percent. His winemaking is consequently very gentle to avoid extracting harsh tannins from the stems. He began harvesting on 10th September, a little later than some neighbours as he waited for the stems to ripen. Virgile feels this is a vintage which has gained enormously from élevage, giving fine, elegant wines which will drink well early and age surprisingly well.

From Très Girard (60 years old), Les Cognées (68) and the village section of Chenevery (70, just under Les Millandes), the deeper clay soils here give more density and also mean the wine shows less of the floral perfume found in Virgile’s other wines. It’s peppery and spicy with good density of fruit. Drink 2020-2025

Having tasted numerous different wine styles Virgile decided he loves wines made with whole bunches, and has set about changing his winemaking to include a larger proportion each year, arriving now at a stage where he can’t imagine himself using less than 50 percent. His winemaking is consequently very gentle to avoid extracting harsh tannins from the stems. He began harvesting on 10th September, a little later than some neighbours as he waited for the stems to ripen. Virgile feels this is a vintage which has gained enormously from élevage, giving fine, elegant wines which will drink well early and age surprisingly well.

Situated next to Mazoyères, this has some of the explosive floral character of its neighbour, alongside intense fruit. The palate is rich and charming with layered tannin and balancing acidity. There’s a floral perfume to the finish that comes and goes. Excellent. Drink 2021-2026.

Having tasted numerous different wine styles Virgile decided he loves wines made with whole bunches, and has set about changing his winemaking to include a larger proportion each year, arriving now at a stage where he can’t imagine himself using less than 50 percent. His winemaking is consequently very gentle to avoid extracting harsh tannins from the stems. He began harvesting on 10th September, a little later than some neighbours as he waited for the stems to ripen. Virgile feels this is a vintage which has gained enormously from élevage, giving fine, elegant wines which will drink well early and age surprisingly well.

This is just below Charmes, but has a completely different soil type and expression. Here the soil is rich in limestone, which gives a more nervy and mineral style. Virgile used 100 percent whole-bunch, creating an intensely floral nose with notes of peony and rose petals. The palate has plump fruit, which fills out the middle before the rocky, chalky tannins cut through and leave a refined, pure finish. Drink 2022-2027.

Having tasted numerous different wine styles Virgile decided he loves wines made with whole bunches, and has set about changing his winemaking to include a larger proportion each year, arriving now at a stage where he can’t imagine himself using less than 50 percent. His winemaking is consequently very gentle to avoid extracting harsh tannins from the stems. He began harvesting on 10th September, a little later than some neighbours as he waited for the stems to ripen. Virgile feels this is a vintage which has gained enormously from élevage, giving fine, elegant wines which will drink well early and age surprisingly well.

Named after Virgile’s son, Bertin, this is a blend of Seuvrées, Creux Brouillard and Murots. The whole bunches (100 percent) add some floral notes to the slightly meaty, spicy, dark-fruited nose. The palate has wonderful purity of red cherry, with some violets before cleansing acidity rounds out the whole. Drink 2020-2025.

Having tasted numerous different wine styles Virgile decided he loves wines made with whole bunches, and has set about changing his winemaking to include a larger proportion each year, arriving now at a stage where he can’t imagine himself using less than 50 percent. His winemaking is consequently very gentle to avoid extracting harsh tannins from the stems. He began harvesting on 10th September, a little later than some neighbours as he waited for the stems to ripen. Virgile feels this is a vintage which has gained enormously from élevage, giving fine, elegant wines which will drink well early and age surprisingly well.

This lieu-dit just above Clos de Tart has a very cool, mineral terroir. This saw 80 percent whole-bunch  and 30 percent new oak. The nose is pretty, with a delicate lift and an energy which flows through to  the palate. Pleasant, medium-weight fruit is underpinned by a cool, chalky grip from the  limestone soil. Drink 2020-2024.

Having tasted numerous different wine styles Virgile decided he loves wines made with whole bunches, and has set about changing his winemaking to include a larger proportion each year, arriving now at a stage where he can’t imagine himself using less than 50 percent. His winemaking is consequently very gentle to avoid extracting harsh tannins from the stems. He began harvesting on 10th September, a little later than some neighbours as he waited for the stems to ripen. Virgile feels this is a vintage which has gained enormously from élevage, giving fine, elegant wines which will drink well early and age surprisingly well.