Tasted in Morey St.Denis with Laurent Lignier, 07 October 2022.
Domaine Hubert Lignier
45, Grande Rue
21220 Morey St.Denis
Tel: +33 3 80 51 87 40
www.hubert-lignier.com
More reports for Domaine Hubert Lignier
Laurent on 2022:
“2022 was generous in both quality and quantity. We can be happy but I still have some 2020s that wait for bottling because the bottles themselves are so hard to get hold of!”
Laurent on 2021:
“2021 impacted the hillsides and the bottom of the grand crus – it’s hard to explain as some of the higher parts were hit more than lower. It was very sunny in the days before so the slope had some bud evolution – more than in the Bourgognes for instance – which is why they were hit harder by the frost. It was a later harvest than we’ve become used to and that was down to the frost. So about 40% less wine was produced than in 2022 but more like a third less than other recent vintages. My malos were later in some wines though others were as usual. A vintage with lower temperatures and less sun so more classic pinot noir for here – but I like the purity, acidity, and also elegance that is the result. 2018-20 are more generous and with some black fruit that you can appreciate early but these 21s have a more classic style, purity and acidity that older buyers will love – better after a few years of ageing. We still had good maturity helped by the small crop and not a strong acidity, but a good one.”
And a lovely anecdote:
“My grandfather, Henri, lived to 91 opening 2 bottles of Beaujolais a day. When dad, Hubert, replanted some gamay with pinot, Henri was unhappy and set off in the car, aged 70, for Beaujolais and came back with 200 bottles. Then he did it each year after – though he did die in a car accident!”
The wines…
Many many wines of poise and elegance – there will be much to savour over the next 30 years from these wines…
The wines usually see 18-20 months in barrel here, so bottling is planned to commence in June/July. We start with 3 Bourgognes:
2021 Bourgogne Plante Gilbert
From Chambolle, planted in 1966.
Forward, intense. Growing broad, that’s a great Bourgogne nose. Wide over the palate, silken, tannin but no grain, lovely depth to this wine really – a great start.
2021 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Grand Chaillots
From southern Nuits. Prefer to use the lieu-dit rather than a Côte d’Or label. Vines that were planted at the start of the 80s and with the domaine since 2010.
A hint reductive today and also a more vertical nose. Again supple but showing more direction and energy versus Gilbert.
2021 Bourgogne Symbiose
Vosne, Meursault and Pommard vines
Broad, a rounder-styled nose with some faint barrel too. A hint more structure but this is juicier too. Tasty wine – very tasty.
2021 Morey St.Denis Trilogy
The blend of Chenevery 60%, Clos Solon 15%, Les Poroux 15% – about 1 ha in total – north centre and south, just under the 1ers – 50-84-year-old vines that delivered only half the volume of 2017 or 2018.
A hint of fermentary aroma but broadening with air and the fruit comes nicely into focus. I love the blend of width and structure and fine clarity of flavour that this wine is already showing.
Domaine and so organic. The limit of the appellation, touching the vines of Roumier in Clos des Bussières in Morey. just under Sentiers, vines about 50-55 years old – half a hectare.
Again a faint reduction fades to offer up a fine red fruit with some cushioning below. Ooh yes – open, mouth-filling, great clarity then a burst of energy. Benchmark villages!
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Seuvrees
Domaine wine of almost 1 ha between Gevrey and Morey below Mazoyères – part planted by father and grandfather – so between 60 and 80 years old – this is the biodynamic parcel of the domaine – with limestone clay and even sand.
Wide at the base but this aroma has super clarity of fruit. Again a wine of engaging clarity, complexity and just a couple of mm of cushioning. Mineral finishing – not powerful but captivating!
2021 Pommard Brescule
Have 2 parcels for more than 10 years, Brescule has lots of limestone – only 3 barrels in 21
A new barrel so lots of spice. Rounder, still cushioned, tasty, a little less focus but some power. The next (older barrel) showing a bit more focus to the fruit today.
Planted north-south which brings a bit of afternoon shade – helpful in the current climate! Domaine vines next to Bonnes-Mares, biodynamics are used here.
So many small expressions pf purity here – yes! Broad, stature, a hint of Bonnes-Mares but with such an approachable fruit. – Yes¨
2021 Morey St.Denis 1er Riottes
A hint of reduction but still lots of complex fruit, almost creamy too. Opens, so mouth-watering. A lighter, more delicate but beautiful thing.
Just above Clos St.Denis. Biodynamics here too – half a hectare about 300-330 metres up so lots of frost in 21.
A broader, more powerful aromatic, slightly darker fruit but a mix of clarity and energy here. Bubbling with mouth-watering energy. So mouth-watering. Such a lovely finish. Exquisite wine.
2021 Morey St.Denis Vieilles-Vignes
Made by father since 1985 – a single parcel that straddles 2 parcels – Millandes but a little Chenevery too – planted between 1936 and 1952 – usually only about 20 hl/ha due to millerandes, but make massale selections here.
A broader, more concentrated but still energetic nose. The structure more visible and with extra tannin, but furry, fine textured, and with a saline length. Quasi-GC in style.
2021 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Combottes
Under Monts Luisants but much sandier soil than the domaines Clos de la Roche
A nose that pulls you in, becoming beautifully floral. Silken, open, like Clos St.Jacques I understand the classification – it hasn’t the weight of most grand crus but it has elegance and complexity in spades…
2021 Mazoyères-Chambertin
Next to road, O.10 ha in Mazoyeres below Combottes. A car crashed in there recently destroyed 27 60-year-old vines. Just now replanted. The domaine always had a small cuvée here – not much more than 1 barrel.
Airy and attractive – made for a number of years but labelled Charmes now this year with the Mazoyères label. Direct, mineral, not powerful but graceful.
2021 Clos de la Roche
2 parcels, 0.65 ha in Monts Louisants, and 0.25 ha in Fremiers on the limit of Clos St.Denis – when they bought their Clos de la Roche it was full of goats and sheep but no vines. 0.75 ha is represented here.
Just a little oak padding, but a fine depth of fruit here. Rather easy today but it seems ample enough in all directions.
And for the road:
2020 Morey St.Denis Vieilles-Vignes
Still in barrel
More explosive aromatics. In the mouth still direct but clearly with more intensity. A great finish. I would definitely wait longer to drink this wine than the 21s
2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Chabiots
Vines between Amoureuses and Musigny, this from bought grapes
Much more airy, floral and engrossing – despite not so large scale. Broad, beautiful, slightly structural. With a haunting finish…