Friday Night Newsletter 9-2-22

Hubert Lignier is one of the finest names in Burgundy. The wines have been a core of the Neal Rosenthal portfolio since the 1978 vintage and have always been one of its jewels. These are some of the defining wines of Morey-St. Denis, different from Dujac stylistically but no less profound.

In Stock Now from Domaine Hubert Lignier:

Domaine Hubert Lignier Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2017 750ml $299 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Tim Atkin MW – Decanter 95 points “Laurent Lignier’s Charmes comes from a tiny 0.1ha parcel in Mazoyères, close to the Aux Combottes premier cru. It’s an intensely perfumed, come-hither Pinot that’s floral, silky and svelte, with 20% whole-bunch spice and 30% new wood adding further complexity. 2024-2029. (Nov 2018)”
Neal Martin – Vinous 92-94 points “The 2017 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru includes 20% whole bunches, matured in one-third new oak. It has a gorgeous bouquet of cranberry and raspberry fruit with veins of cassis; later, brown spices emerge. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, good depth and fine grip, perhaps just missing a little precision toward the finish but still very fine.”
Burghound 91-93 points “An agreeably discreet application of wood sets off the attractively fresh and markedly floral aromas of black cherry, plum and abundant earth scents. There is a subtle minerality and vibrancy to the sleek and intense middle weight flavors that possess a caressing mouthfeel that contrasts somewhat with a mildly austere finale that exhibits fine depth and persistence. This is both stylish and pretty and like the Griotte, could be approached with pleasure on the younger side if that’s your preference.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $365

Domaine Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2018 750ml $519 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Domaine Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2018 1.5L $1049 special, 1 magnum in stock now
Decanter 96 points “Laurent Lignier uses 0.8ha of his two holdings in the climats of Les Fremières and Monts Luisants to produce this refined expression of Clos de la Roche. Savoury and sweet, with 30% whole clusters adding aromatic spices and extra structure in 2018, this is graceful, subtle and concentrated with palate-caressing summer berry fruit and refreshing palate length. Drinking Window 2026 – 2036.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95+ points “Revisited in bottle, Lignier’s 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru lives up to its fine performance in barrel, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and orange rind mingled with truffle, espresso roast, loamy soil and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, concentrated and seamless, it’s layered and vibrant, with a deep core of pure fruit that largely conceals impressive reserves of fine, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long and saline finish, it will merit and reward at least a dozen years’ patience, likely hitting its stride around age 20.”
Neal Martin-Vinous 94-96 points “The 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru comprises one-third whole bunch and 30% new oak. The nose is uncharacteristically backward, though with coaxing it offers enticing dark cherries, blackberry, sous-bois and pine aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit and a fine bead of acidity. Taut and linear, leading to a very precise, persistent finish that is a pure joy. Divine.”

Domaine Hubert Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin, Cote de Nuits 2017 750ml $81.80 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Rosenthal Note “The Ligniers purchased the fruit for this wine, but they oversee the vineyard work from July onward, as well as the harvest itself. Produced from parcels in two lieu-dits—15-year-old vines in “Epointures” and 60-year-old vines in “Reniard”—this is pitch-perfect Gevrey-Chambertin: meaty and succulent, with classic Lignier poise and a long, mineral-drenched, driving finish.”

Domaine Hubert Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrees, Cote de Nuits 2017 750ml $89 special, 13 bottles in stock now
Neal Martin – Vinous 89-91 points “The 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées contains around 20% whole bunch fruit. It has a fresh, generous bouquet, hints of brown spice infusing the red fruit. The palate is well balanced with sappy red fruit laced with orange peel, quite firm grip in the mouth and a slightly austere finish at the moment. Give this three or four years.”
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 89-91 points “The 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées is showing very well, unfurling in the glass with suggestions of cassis, raspberries, sweet soil tones and spices. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and nicely concentrated, with good depth at the core and fine-grained but firm, even chalky, structuring tannins. This should evolve well in bottle.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Hubert Lignier Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ml $459 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Stephen Tanzer 91-94 points “(the Ligniers do not do the harvest here; made from 50-year-old vines; 100% destemmed): Healthy full red. Pungent aromas of purple fruits, menthol and crushed rock. Quite pliant on entry, then precise and perfumed in the middle palate, showing noteworthy energy and lift to its flavors of small wild red fruits, minerals and spices. Not a particularly tannic wine but juicy, refined and long.”
William Kelley-Decanter 92 points “This year’s Griotte is an elegant middle-weight, offering up notes of creamy red cherry and meaty soil tones, followed by a supple, reserved wine with nice detail and a chalky, mineral finish. A pretty wine but, like the Charmes, this very much plays second fiddle to the superb Clos de la Roche in 2016.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Domaine Hubert Lignier Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2017 750ml $519 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Burghound 91-93 points “There is much more moderate oak influence framing the cool and perfumed nose that offers up essence of various red berries and floral nuances along with a hint of the sauvage. The well-detailed and solidly concentrated flavors possess fine size and weight as well as plenty of sleek muscle and minerality on the stylish and classy finish. This is built to age yet it’s not so structured that it couldn’t be approached after a few years of bottle age.”
Neal Martin – Vinous 91-93 points “The 2017 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from purchased fruit. It has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis and light cassis aromas, and the one-third new oak is neatly integrated. The fleshy, generous palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and fine acidity, leading to a smooth, sensual finish. This might be earlier-drinking than Lignier’s other two Grand Crus.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $589

Domaine Hubert Lignier La Riotte, Morey St Denis Premier Cru 2017 750ml $159 special, 1 bottle in stock now
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 90-93 points “The supplest, most open-knit of Lignier’s premiers crus from Morey, the 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte bursts with aromas of plummy fruit, red currants, subtle spices and rose hip. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, supple and expansive, with a layered mid-palate, fine but chalky tannins and a saline finish. This will win friends in its youth.”
Neal Martin – Vinous 90-92 points “The 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis La Riotte is aged in one-third new oak and includes 20% whole bunches. It has an expressive bouquet with touches of mint that infuse the vibrant red fruit. The dense, fresh palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip on the entry and hints of sour cherry toward the edgy finish. Good potential here.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Hubert Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis Tres Girard, Cote de Nuits 2017 750ml $89 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Neal Martin – Vinous 89-91 points “The 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis Très Girard has a refined bouquet of ample red berry fruit, nicely defined and revealing hints of orange blossom. The palate is well balanced with supple tannin, nice focus and a caressing texture toward the finish. Lovely.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Hubert Lignier Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Poisets, Cote de Nuits 2017 1.5L $199 special, 1 magnum in stock now
Tim Atkin MW – Decanter 92 points “This is comparatively new to the Lignier portfolio as the family only bought this vineyard in 2010. The impressive village site sits below the Les Cailles premier cru on the south side of Nuits-St-Georges. Old-vine concentration, 25% whole bunches and 20% new wood all contribute to the quality of this sappy, intense, mineral-edged red. Drink between 2021-2027.”
John Gilman 91+ points “The 2017 les Poisets includes twenty-five percent whole clusters this year and is a superb Nuits villages. The bouquet is deep and very precise, wafting from the glass in a fine blend of roasted black cherries, gamebird, dark soil tones, bitter chocolate, a nice touch of spice from the stems, gently savory elements and a bit of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, soil-driven and quite elegant in structural chassis, with a fine core of fruit, lovely soil signature, ripe tannins and a long, complex and very well-balanced finish. Laurent noted that tis wine was one of the few to have a fairly late malo, as it finished up in June, so the wine was a bit behind the others in evolution and may well be hiding a bit of the sappiness that is so much on display in the other villages level wines this year. In any event, this is going to be excellent. 2025-2060.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!