Richebourg

Lovely bright purple, with a little touch of oak, but above all it’s the compact weight of fruit which impresses. It is very reserved at this stage but the class and intensity are there. There are layers of fruit one upon another, and a final burst of intensity when one might expect the fruit to be fading.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Thibault’s two domaines, based in Moulin à Vent and Nuits-St Georges, both returned paltry yields of 16 hl/ha in 2012. Among the Côte d’Or appellations, the Hautes Côtes, Nuits and Gevrey-Chambertin suffered in particular. All of which is a great shame, given the quality of the wines which have been made. Even where Thibault purchases grapes (Aloxe-Corton and Chambolle- Musigny), Thibault makes the major decisions in the vineyard management. His own vines are farmed biodynamically, with ploughing by horse.

A perfectly balanced medley of oak, spice and ripe blackberrys. Mineral nuances frame rich and opulent flavours which are supported by a tannic spine and very long length indeed.

Just under half the vineyard (3.51 hectares out of 8.03) belongs to Domaine de la Romanée Conti, spread over several plots. This is always a robust wine, deeper in colour than the Romanée St Vivant but not necessarily as elegant. The vines currently average 45 years old. About a third of the holding remained in ungrafted vines until 1946, with two cuvees being produced – a regular Richebourg and a version labelled Richebourgs Vieux Cépages. When these vines were grubbed up and replanted after the Second World War, cuttings were taken from La Romanée Conti which was also being replanted.

This is a giant of a wine just waiting to come of age. For now the bouquet is quite discreet but the layers of flavour gradually emerge towards an immense finish, which demonstrates how great this wine will become in a decade or more.

Glowing an alluring ruby purple colour, this Richebourg is showing very little on the nose, the fruit not yet ready to emerge from its cocoon. Although the flavours may not be fully apparent, the texture of the wine demonstrates its quality, with a coating of plush velvet covering the palate. The structural elements of acidity and tannin are present but submerged by the wealth of fruit. Two minutes after spitting an extraordinary perfume rises up. Tuck this infant away safely in the cellar for a number of years.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

There is a marvellous sense of energy in Thibault Liger-Belair’s 2010 wines, perhaps his finest vintage to date. This is a vintage where the wines express the characters of their terroirs very well. Thibault decided on a longer than usual vinification but with very little active extraction and fewer stems than in 2009. Where Thibault purchases grapes (Aloxe-Corton, Chambolle-Musigny) his team manages the vineyard work after the initial pruning.

Rich, glowing purple, with really vibrant heady red fruit, all tightly meshed. Explosive on the palate with a little touch of spice alongside the wealth of fruit. Pure and delicious.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The vintage began here on 6th October, once again being short on quantity but with good qualitative potential. Thibault feels that the 2013s can take a long barrel ageing, perhaps up to 24 months. He is using fewer lees, but finer, in order to avoid too many reductive problems.

With a wealth of fruit in the rich cherry style of the vintage, this Richebourg Grand Cru is very detailed with fruit, oak and mineral acidity all in balance. An exceptionally persistent finish denotes its quality. This will certainly repay keeping.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Burgundy Buyer)