Wine Advisor
Georges Lignier, Clos St Denis Grand Cru 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Medium red, with a trace of development. Medicinal dark raspberry, menthol and earth aromas are complicated by dried flowers and cinnamon. Plush and rich in the middle palate in the style of the 2015 but still with lovely floral, menthol lift to its red berry and underbrush flavors. Very concentrated and fresh, conveying a restrained sweetness to its strong kernel of fruit. Really saturates the mouth and builds slowly on the finish, leaving behind a scent of dried flowers.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep, bright red. Urgent crushed cherry and red raspberry fruit aromas are complicated and lifted by rose petal, white pepper, citrus peel and sexy oak; an essence of Clos Saint-Denis. Rich, layered and deep but also wonderfully brisk, with an exhilarating element of blood orange contributing to the impression of razor-sharp definition. Finishes with fine-grained, noble tannins, subtle rising length and a magically weightless impression. A wine of compelling purity and class, this beauty should be long-lived. The yield here was 30 hectoliters per hectare and the pH is 3.4, according to Stehly. Incidentally, this estate is the largest owner of vines in Clos Saint-Denis, at 1.49 hectares. Stehly picks this fruit in the morning because he uses a smaller tank in which it would be harder to chill the grapes. He continues to sell some of his Clos Saint-Denis to Lucien Le Moine, Marchand-Tawse and Jadot, noting that his clients supply their own barrels and take the wines, with their lees, in January. (He also sells some of his Clos de la Roche.)
About the Producer
Georges Lignier is a cousin of Hubert, and while the two estates are clearly separate operations, they do share some of the greatest vineyards in and around Morey-Saint-Denis. That may be where the similarities end, as the delicate, subtle and seductive qualities of Domaine Georges Lignier are a fascinating contrast to the more intense and structured wines of Hubert Lignier. The domaine is led by Benoit Stehly, nephew of Georges Lignier, who worked at the domaine for a decade alongside his uncle, before assuming control of the work in both the vineyard and the cellar in 2008. His approach is very traditional, as he seeks to achieve maximum aromatic concentration, above nearly all other characteristics, including structural or color concentration. To achieve this, techniques such as a slightly later harvest and 80% destemming are employed. At the Villages level, the wines are raised in older barrels, while the 1er Crus see 30% new oak, and the Grand Crus 50% new oak. A vein of seductive elegance runs throughout the full range of wines, inviting a complex and beautiful conversation with each glass. The sensitive palate will thoroughly enjoy this approach, a statement of respect for the grandest of traditions in Burgundy and a sublime expression of the terroir underlying some of the most renowned sites in the Cote de Nuits. Since 2010 the wines are neither fined nor filtered. When it comes to the vineyard holdings, the depth of appellations in both the Premier and Grand Crus is astounding. Overall, the domaine counts sixteen hectares encompassing 50 parcels, across 17 appellations in both white and red. Moreover, these are generally not single rows of rare plots, but substantial parcels within some of the greatest sites in the Cote d’Or. For example, the estate is the largest proprietor of the Grand Cru Clos Saint-Denis, at 1.49 hectares, and controls over a hectare of the Clos de la Roche Grand Cru.
