Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru
The Premiers Crus of Morey St Denis cover the width of the commune on the lower slopes, below the Grands Crus. Another small band lies just above the Grands Crus at the northern end of the commune, adjacent to Gevrey-Chambertin. For the most part they are on very gentle slopes. This appellation includes 20 Premiers Crus Climats, from Les Blanchards to Clos de la Bussière.
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Bottle
£63.00
Case price (6)
£378.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 10cs
£301.56
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
Morey-St Denis, Les Faconnières offers a dense, purple colour with an almost black centre. Virgile considers the soil to be similar to Clos de la Roche. It is more backward than the other Premiers Crus, dense and ungiving at this stage yet with a magical intensity of fruit, a crunchy finish, and excellent balance. Drink 2002-2028
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.
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.
Bottle
£63.00
Case price (6)
£378.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 13cs
£301.56
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
This sits beside Les Millandes, towards Clos de la Roche. The plot has lovely old vines (70 years), which produce tiny berries. This has great concentration, despite coming in at 45hl/ha. The fruit is lusciously ripe, but with no hint of over-maturity. The grip of the vineyard’s terroir keeps it perfectly in shape. Drink 2022-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Virgile Lignier started working alongside his father in 1988, really taking charge from 2000, by which time all the wines were being bottled at the domaine. Significant advances were made in the vineyards, reducing yields and ploughing the soil, along with the introduction of a sorting table and a higher percentage of new wood in the cellar. The domaine has an exemplary range of Morey- St Denis vineyards, supplemented by one or two cuvées from neighbouring villages. By his own admission, in his early days Virgile Lignier looked for too much extraction from his wines. The tide began to turn in 2006 and today he is very comfortable in his style. He does like to look for good levels of maturity and he waited just a day or two more than his neighbours to pick, beginning on 29th September and finishing on 3rd October in his Faconnières vineyard. He likes long skin contact, starting at a cool temperature, but with limited pumping over. Virgile is perfectly satisfied with his results in 2016, but did remark that it was hard work getting to what was eventually a very healthy harvest.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Virgile Lignier started working alongside his father in 1988, really taking charge from 2000, by which time all the wines were being bottled at the domaine. Significant advances were made in the vineyards, reducing yields and ploughing the soil, along with the introduction of a sorting table and a higher percentage of new wood in the cellar. The domaine has an exemplary range of Morey- St Denis vineyards, supplemented by one or two cuvées from neighbouring villages. By his own admission, in his early days Virgile Lignier looked for too much extraction from his wines. The tide began to turn in 2006 and today he is very comfortable in his style. He does like to look for good levels of maturity and he waited just a day or two more than his neighbours to pick, beginning on 29th September and finishing on 3rd October in his Faconnières vineyard. He likes long skin contact, starting at a cool temperature, but with limited pumping over. Virgile is perfectly satisfied with his results in 2016, but did remark that it was hard work getting to what was eventually a very healthy harvest.
Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£311.52
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Domaine Christian Serafin,
For laying down,
Bright purple with medium density, this has a ripe, red-cherry nose. The elegant fruit is backed by a surprisingly firm structure which will require time.
Though we still have the pleasure of tasting with Christian Sérafin, it is now his niece, Frédérique who is solely responsible for winemaking. Christian describes 2014 as being all about elegance and balance, with neither too much acidity nor tannin. The Sérafin wines always repay patience.
Though we still have the pleasure of tasting with Christian Sérafin, it is now his niece, Frédérique who is solely responsible for winemaking. Christian describes 2014 as being all about elegance and balance, with neither too much acidity nor tannin. The Sérafin wines always repay patience.
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£1,180.00
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
Because these are very old vines on clay, this had 80 percent whole-bunch. Glowing purple, it has the most beautiful, lifted nose. It’s a joy on the palate, with a beautiful expression of red-purple fruit. This is beautifully poised, with the perfect thread of mineral acidity, long and fine. Drink 2022-2030.
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.
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.
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Domaine Christian Serafin,
For laying down,
Bright, fresh purple, this has a lively, fruit-forward nose. The palate has rich, vibrant fruit with excellent acidity, some crunchy minerals and very good length. Quite precise, this is a dense, mineral wine. Drink 2022-2032.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer
Christian Sérafin’s niece Frédérique follows very much in her uncle’s footsteps, using the same vinification and maturing principles as before, though possibly with a fractionally lighter touch. She is also reviewing the management of the soil in the vineyards to encourage more microbial life. They made what turned out to be the excellent decision not to do any leaf plucking in 2015, thus avoiding any burning of the grapes and so maintaining a respectable yield.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer
Christian Sérafin’s niece Frédérique follows very much in her uncle’s footsteps, using the same vinification and maturing principles as before, though possibly with a fractionally lighter touch. She is also reviewing the management of the soil in the vineyards to encourage more microbial life. They made what turned out to be the excellent decision not to do any leaf plucking in 2015, thus avoiding any burning of the grapes and so maintaining a respectable yield.
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£890.00
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
A fascinating contrast to Castagnier’s version, Virgile’s use of 70 percent whole-bunch makes this plumper and more succulent. The minerality of the vineyard is more cushioned, and the svelte-style Morey is more in evidence. Drink 2022-2028.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Virgile Lignier started working alongside his father in 1988, really taking charge from 2000, by which time all the wines were being bottled at the domaine. Significant advances were made in the vineyards, reducing yields and ploughing the soil, along with the introduction of a sorting table and a higher percentage of new wood in the cellar. The domaine has an exemplary range of Morey- St Denis vineyards, supplemented by one or two cuvées from neighbouring villages. By his own admission, in his early days Virgile Lignier looked for too much extraction from his wines. The tide began to turn in 2006 and today he is very comfortable in his style. He does like to look for good levels of maturity and he waited just a day or two more than his neighbours to pick, beginning on 29th September and finishing on 3rd October in his Faconnières vineyard. He likes long skin contact, starting at a cool temperature, but with limited pumping over. Virgile is perfectly satisfied with his results in 2016, but did remark that it was hard work getting to what was eventually a very healthy harvest.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Virgile Lignier started working alongside his father in 1988, really taking charge from 2000, by which time all the wines were being bottled at the domaine. Significant advances were made in the vineyards, reducing yields and ploughing the soil, along with the introduction of a sorting table and a higher percentage of new wood in the cellar. The domaine has an exemplary range of Morey- St Denis vineyards, supplemented by one or two cuvées from neighbouring villages. By his own admission, in his early days Virgile Lignier looked for too much extraction from his wines. The tide began to turn in 2006 and today he is very comfortable in his style. He does like to look for good levels of maturity and he waited just a day or two more than his neighbours to pick, beginning on 29th September and finishing on 3rd October in his Faconnières vineyard. He likes long skin contact, starting at a cool temperature, but with limited pumping over. Virgile is perfectly satisfied with his results in 2016, but did remark that it was hard work getting to what was eventually a very healthy harvest.
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Domaine Christian Serafin,
For laying down,
This Premier Cru sits just underneath Clos de la Roche, and there is certainly more than a passing resemblance to its prestigious neighbour. The fruit is juicy and vibrant, but the quality of the tannins is what makes this wine stand out. Stony and vibrant, this has great, mineral precision. Drink 2024-2034.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
This domaine was originally put on the map by Christian Sérafin’s father, Stanilaus Sérafin, a Polish émigré, who settled in Burgundy before the war. He initially worked as a mason, before purchasing some land in 1947 and establishing himself as a vigneron. His son Christian inherited the domaine in 1988, though he had been making the wine for the previous 20 years. Christian Sérafin is now past retirement age, but with a niece (Frédérique) in the vineyards and cuverie, and a daughter (Karine) in the office, continuity is in place. The style here is for powerful wines which age exceptionally well. Christian Sérafin’s niece Frédérique feels that 2016 is “une grande année de garde”, and could well surpass 2015. In fact, her confidence in the vintage is such that all the wines will be raised entirely in new oak barrels. The most badly-frosted vineyards were Bourgogne and Chambolle Baudes, which suffered 60 percent frost. Overall yields were down by around 50 percent but the cousins expect to release a larger proportion of the crop than usual en primeur in order to minimise the immediate impact of the losses. These are certainly wines which deserve long- term ageing.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
This domaine was originally put on the map by Christian Sérafin’s father, Stanilaus Sérafin, a Polish émigré, who settled in Burgundy before the war. He initially worked as a mason, before purchasing some land in 1947 and establishing himself as a vigneron. His son Christian inherited the domaine in 1988, though he had been making the wine for the previous 20 years. Christian Sérafin is now past retirement age, but with a niece (Frédérique) in the vineyards and cuverie, and a daughter (Karine) in the office, continuity is in place. The style here is for powerful wines which age exceptionally well. Christian Sérafin’s niece Frédérique feels that 2016 is “une grande année de garde”, and could well surpass 2015. In fact, her confidence in the vintage is such that all the wines will be raised entirely in new oak barrels. The most badly-frosted vineyards were Bourgogne and Chambolle Baudes, which suffered 60 percent frost. Overall yields were down by around 50 percent but the cousins expect to release a larger proportion of the crop than usual en primeur in order to minimise the immediate impact of the losses. These are certainly wines which deserve long- term ageing.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£495.00
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
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.
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.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 21cs
£330.00
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
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.
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.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 57cs
£180.00
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
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.
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.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 31cs
£330.00
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
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.
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.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 27cs
£330.00
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Domaine Christian Serafin,
For laying down,
Sérafin has two plots in this well-regarded Premier Cru, one with 60-year-old vines, the other closer to 40 years old. The purity and delicacy of the vineyard is evident and, given the vineyard’s proximity to both Clos de la Roche and Clos St Denis, there is much elegance in evidence too. Drink 2022-2027.
The harvest was done early and quickly here, starting on 6th September and finished by 12th. Karine Sérafin explained that the estate was harvesting earlier than before, to keep more freshness in the wines, and also working more with leaf coverage. The old vines negated any need to green harvest and yields are up by only 20 percent from 2016, but otherwise Karine and her cousin Frédérique are intent on preserving the individuality of Christian Sérafin’s style for vins de garde, with 100 percent new oak for everything upwards from the Gevrey Vieilles Vignes.
The harvest was done early and quickly here, starting on 6th September and finished by 12th. Karine Sérafin explained that the estate was harvesting earlier than before, to keep more freshness in the wines, and also working more with leaf coverage. The old vines negated any need to green harvest and yields are up by only 20 percent from 2016, but otherwise Karine and her cousin Frédérique are intent on preserving the individuality of Christian Sérafin’s style for vins de garde, with 100 percent new oak for everything upwards from the Gevrey Vieilles Vignes.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 23cs
£393.00
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Domaine Castagnier,
For laying down,
Jérôme’s vines are in the 0.16-hectare higher extension of the vineyard which sits just across from CharmesChambertin. There is hardly any topsoil here and the wine’s style is very distinctive with a clear salinity, really bright fruit but always a lovely balance. Drink 2022-2027.
There is always a breathless and rather chaotic energy in the Castagnier cellar but this year Jérôme could scarcely contain his enthusiasm. He loves his 2017s. To him they have the friand and gourmand style of 2014 but with more depth and density. He started his harvest on 6th September and employed less pigeage (punching down) than usual. The exigencies of the 2018 vintage meant Jérôme was obliged to move his 2017s to tank earlier than usual but even this has worked to his advantage: less time in wood has dialled up the focus and exuberance of this irresistible range of 2017s.
There is always a breathless and rather chaotic energy in the Castagnier cellar but this year Jérôme could scarcely contain his enthusiasm. He loves his 2017s. To him they have the friand and gourmand style of 2014 but with more depth and density. He started his harvest on 6th September and employed less pigeage (punching down) than usual. The exigencies of the 2018 vintage meant Jérôme was obliged to move his 2017s to tank earlier than usual but even this has worked to his advantage: less time in wood has dialled up the focus and exuberance of this irresistible range of 2017s.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 4cs
£312.00
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Domaine Lignier-Michelot,
For laying down,
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.
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.
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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.