The nose is mineral and understated – yet there is quite some depth. In the mouth, this has a nice racy stance with good texture and a nice depth of flavour that slowly expands before decaying in the finish. This wine has much to commend it – it is neither simple nor ‘fruity’, but it is engaging.
I really don’t like the smell of this cork – it’s not TCA, it’s not musty either but it has a very strong deep, almost nutty odour. Pale colour. The smell of the cork fortunately doesn’t seem to be on the nose – rather it is a fresh and very mineral aroma. In the mouth there is good balance and again a very mineral impression – unfortunately I can taste something similar to the aroma from the cork. There is intensity but none of the complexity of it’s youth, the style is much more linear. A shame that my last bottle wasn’t allowed to shine – all down to the cork.
Decanted 1 hour before pouring. Only a little more than medium cherry-red colour. The nose starts as a relatively forward blend of red cherries and darker oak-toast and herbal aromas. Time releases a more floral note, suggesting violets. Fresh flavours that also show a dark-oak edge and medium-grained tannin with a little astringency, the mid-palate has a little saline impression. The finish is quite narrow – linear – but very long, giving only a dark mineral/saline oaky impression. Interesting, though missing a certain ’spark’ to make me consider bolstering stocks…
Medium cherry-red colour. High-toned, slightly volatile red fruits over a faintly gunflint and vanilla base. Red fruit that is not so concentrated, but pretty striking. Plenty of oaky flavour and really impressive length, though that’s also a little heavy on the vanilla. Softly textured, this has the intensity of a 1er cru, but it really does have the complexity of a grand cru. It’s a relatively cheap bottling, at that price it’s an easy rebuy nomination.
A side-by-side comparison – neither holds all the aces. The L et A Lignier, though offering slightly less colour, is a clear winner in the aroma department – just a gorgeous expression of complex fruit – the Lignier-Michelot is good, but really can’t compete. Over the tongue, mirroring the extra colour, the Lignier-Michelot is a little more extracted and offers more ‘up-front’ oomph, from there-on it’s a long slow diminuendo. The L et A offers a different recipe; narrower on entry, bursting with mid-plate dimension and shows more length. No bad wines here, each offers a balanced performance and I’d certainly buy both again, but the relative proportions today would clearly be in favour of Lucie and Auguste’s bottle.
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