Description
The Lignier family is the most famous name in this small village which has the highest percentage of Grand cru’s in the Cotes de Nuits. Virgile’s vineyards are some of the best sited in the village with several holdings in the neighbouring villages of Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin as well as in the two signature Grand cru’s of this village, Clos de la Roche and Clos St Denis.
A very high percentage of whole bunch is used in the vinifications yet the wines have such finesse of tannins and the balance in these wines is remarkable – so much so that top reviewers regard these wines among the very best in this village and the entire Cotes de Nuits. The Lignier family have deep roots in the village of Morey Saint Denis and own 10.5 hectares of some of the very best vineyard sites in this village, and also in the 2 neighbouring villages Chambolle Musigny and Gevrey Chambertin. Virgile’s father and grand-father had always produced wine and sold it to negotiants until Virgile started working with his father in the early 1990’s and he decided to sell the wines himself. Now with almost 20 vintages of experience Virgile has moved the domaine to fully organic viticulture and is producing what many believe to be the best wines of this prestigious village.
In the last 10 years Virgile has modified his wine-making using whole-bunch vinification ranging from 30-100% depending on the vintage and the vineyard and he has also reduced the percentage of new oak (mostly Seguin-Moreau and Francois freres) for maturation with most wines seeing around 30% making its effect seamless in the final wines. He also completed a new winery in time for the 2013 vintage that now enables him to work with temperature control and to gain a very gentle extraction of tannins for all his wines. This results in wines showing great precision and energy with remarkable perfume and also beautiful fine tannins and very silky structure. They are wines which are often very seductive at a young age which also clearly have the potential for ageing superbly. This very young domaine is now regarded among the very best in the Cotes de Nuits.
About the 2019 vintage: “Lastly, Lignier has crafted some genuinely terrific 2019s and these are definitely wines to check out.” Burghound, January 2021
“Another great vintage ending in ‘9’ that was hot and very dry yet produced fresh, elegant and concentrated wines. Moreover, it produced some genuinely superb wines.’ Burghound, January
2021.
‘In short, 2019 is a superb vintage, and these are wines that all Burgundy lovers are going to want to secure for their cellars.’ William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, January 2021.
Virgile now has 0.80ha Grand Cru, Clos de la Roche to play with the latest addition being old vines. Planting dates now range from 1944 to 1990 here. Clos de la Roche is prime Grand Cru vineyard in Morey-Saint-Denis, renowned for producing powerful, ageworthy Pinot Noir with intense dark fruit, spice, and mineral notes from stony limestone soils and this certainly is a top shelf offering.
“Very ripe and quite fresh aromas consist of plum liqueur, violet, lavender, leather, warm earth and spice wisps. The dense, palate coating and seductively textured big-bodied flavors possess a plush mouthfeel before terminating in an almost painfully intense finale. This is a bit and exceptionally powerful CdlR that delivers superb length and about the only nit worthy of mention is a trace of warmth. In short, this is a knockout but note well that its constructed accordingly and is not likely to make for especially good early drinking; indeed it may be 25 years before we see this beauty at its full apogee. Drink 2039+.” 93-96 points Allen Meadows – Burghound
‘The 2019 Clos de La Roche Grand Cru contains 80% whole bunches this year and underwent just a couple of punch-downs. There is a tiny amount of reduction on the nose as I taste it, gradually opening to reveal raspberry, blackcurrant and violet aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins matched with a very fine bead of acidity. This is a very cohesive and refined Grand Cru with a lilting, carefree finish that belies its inherent complexity and persistent. Easy to under-estimate this, I am sure it will age with style. Drink 2024 – 2050.” 94-96 points, Neal Martin – Vinous Media
“80% whole bunch. Virgile now has 0.80ha to play with, the latest addition being old vines. Planting dates now range from 1944 to 1990. Gorgeous deep purple. This Clos de la Roche has a brilliant bouquet with blue fruit mixed in to a vast range of deep complex red and black notes, both acidity and tannins in the right place. There is a classic grainy texture here too and wonderful length.” 95-98 points, Jasper Morris MW – Inside Burgundy
Our Price $819.99 Limited
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