Lignier-Michelot

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.

2018 vintage - last bottles

“Virgile Lignier’s take on the 2018 vintage was that “it has turned out to be a pleasant surprise because given how hot the growing season was I frankly expected heavy and over ripe wines but that’s not at all the case as the wines really changed during the course of the élevage. We had a huge fruit set and it was absolutely necessary to control yields and I debudded
aggressively, in fact my yields in 2018 are about the same as they were in 2016. I began picking on the 8th of September and the fruit was clean and ripe, partially because the season was so warm but also because my yields were relatively low. Potential alcohols ranged from 12.8 to 14.8% though the highest were the regional vineyards as I picked them last. I used a very high percentage of whole clusters while vinifying softly, though over a longer period, as it was clear from the outset that it would be easy to extract plenty of tannin. As to the wines, they’re generous and seductive but they do not lack for either density or aging ability. They’re mostly very good but a few of them, in my view, are genuinely excellent. Perhaps their most surprising aspect is how clearly the terroir is expressed as that’s not always the case with very warm vintages.” Fans of the domaine will be very pleased to learn that as of 2019 the area farmed in Clos de la Roche will increase from .29 ha to .74 ha. Lignier also noted that the 2017s reviewed below were bottled in February 2019. Note: Lignier has a small négociant activity and the wines are sold under the name Maison Virgile Lignier.“ Burghound.com, January 2020

2018 Morey Saint Denis rouge “En la rue de Vergy”
This tiny vineyard of just over 3 hectares borders directly on to 3 Grand cru vineyards (Bonnes Mares, Clos de Tart and Clos des Lambrays) and Virgile owns 1.9 ha of vines planted 1975 bordering on to those Grand cru’s. Situated quite high on the slope just above Clos de Tart where the limestone is quite close to the surface similar to the highest vineyards in Chambolle Musigny which it borders on the southern side. A stunning village site and from his fabulous holding this wine looks closer to Premier cru standard than village in intensity and detail. in 2018 this cuvee has 70% whole bunches in the ferment which lasted for 3 weeks with the final week at 30-31c lightly covered with a little CO2. Super fine tannins in 2018.
”(70% whole cluster). A notably cool nose, at least in the context of the 2018 vintage, reflects notes of cassis, blueberry and plenty of floral elements. The quite finely detailed and lightly stony middle weight flavors possess a suave mid-palate mouthfeel while culminating in a lingering and youthfully austere bitter cherry pit inflected finish. 89/2025+” Burghound.com January 2021
”The 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis en la Rue de Vergy has a ripe kirsch and morello cherry scented, perhaps just lacking a little complexity at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with flecks of dark chocolate on the entry. Nicely balanced.” Vinous Media, Neal Martin January 2020

2018 Morey Saint Denis rouge Vieilles Vignes
Made from a blend of 3 vineyards totaling around 1.5 ha with old vines planted 1946, 1948, 1950’s and 1980’s which lie in the middle of the appellation, from Tres Girard, Les Cognees and Bas Chenevery. This wine is consistently very aromatic and incredibly attractive when young with great depth of aromas and remarkable generosity on the palate also. A stunning village wine that provides great pleasure from a very young age. This year the ferment contained 95% whole bunches this year with some tiny millerande grapes from very old vines of up to 70 years old giving the impression of more sweetness and more tannins giving an impression of more density yet very fine palate.
”(80% whole cluster). Here there is enough reduction to warrant a thorough aeration if you’re tempted to try a bottle young in the interest of science. Otherwise, the medium-bodied flavors caressing and concentrated while offering good volume to the energetic, dusty and youthfully austere finish that is presently quite linear. This very firmly structured effort makes clear that, science aside, it’s pointless to open a bottle before at least 7 to 8 years have passed. Excellent but very serious. 90/2030+” Burghound.com January 2021
”The 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis Vieilles Vignes contains around 80% whole bunch. It has an open, floral bouquet, well defined and featuring black cherries, bilberry and violet aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins, good acidity and black fruit infused with blood orange and citrus lemon. The compact finish needs to develop more length. (89-91)”
Vinous Media, Neal Martin January 2020

2018 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes
From 2 parcels (Les Drazey and Les Gamaires) below Bonnes Mares planted in the 1950’s and 1960’s totaling 1.48 hectares. A deep rich and generous Chambolle of great finesse and class.
”(from 50+ year old vines; 80% whole cluster). This is also very ripe though it stops short of jamminess with a liqueur-like quality to the black cherry, violet and spice scents. There is both excellent intensity and delineation to the medium weight flavors that flash a touch of youthful austerity on the lingering finish. (88-91)/2025+” Burghound.com January 2020
”The 2018 Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes contains 70–80% whole-bunch fruit. It has an airy nose with black cherry fruit mixed with cola and pressed violets. The palate is lively and sweet on the entry, offering dense black fruit laced with blood orange and tangerine. Firm and quite structured on the finish. Give it two or three years in bottle. (87-89)” Vinous Media, Neal Martin January 2020

2018 Gevrey Chambertin “cuvee Bertin”
Comes mostly from a parcel of .53 ha of vines planted in 1969 in Les Seuvrees which borders on to Grand cru Charmes Chambertin close to the Morey St Denis border. About 200 dozen produced.
”(from Les Seuvrées and Les Murots; 90% whole cluster). There is a touch of thesauvage present on the nose of wild dark berries, forest floor and again, plenty of floral elements. The highly energetic and well-detailed flavors exude a subtle salinity on the refreshing and sneaky long and markedly firm finish that is shaped by relatively fine-grained tannins. This needs to develop a bit more depth but it is already a quality effort. (88-91)/2028+” Burghound.com January 2020
“Containing 100% whole bunch, the 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin "Cuvée Bertin" offers ripe strawberries and red cherry on the nose, which is very airy in style, if lacking a little complexity. The medium-bodied palate delivers crunchy red berry fruit laced with tea leaves and bay leaf, fine delineation and a fresh, lightly spiced finish. Hopefully the aromatics will up their game.” (89-91) Vinous Media, Neal Martin January 2020

2018 Morey Saint Denis 1er cru “Aux Chezeaux”
Joins directly on to Grand cru Charmes Chambertin.
”(100% whole cluster). Discreet wood sets off an ultra-floral suffused nose that present notes of cassis, baked plum and soft earth. There is evident minerality to the relatively refined, intense and well detailed flavors that display excellent complexity on the lingering, youthfully austere and sauvage finish. This is really quite good though at least some patience advised. (90-93)/2033+” Burghound.com January 2020
“The 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis Aux Chezeaux 1er Cru, 100% whole bunch, has a floral bouquet with wilted violets and iris infusing the black cherry and bilberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and ripe, delivering a fine bead of acidity and a sorbet-fresh, vivacious finish that has real charm. This is an excellent 2018 from Lignier-Michelot.” (92-94) Vinous Media, Neal Martin January 2020

2018 Nuits St Georges 1er cru “aux Murgers”
Just 3 barrels produced yielding one of the most perfumed and seductive Burgundies imaginable with super-fine tannins in 2018 showing impressive old vines depth and intensity.
“(released under the Maison Virgile Lignier label; 50% whole cluster). A riper nose of baked plum, black raspberry and earth gives way to delicious and caressing medium weight flavors that display notable warmth on the robust and bold finale. Like the Cuvée Jules, this isn’t particularly energetic though it’s by no means flat or heavy. (89-92)/2030+” Burghound.com January 2020
‘The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Murgey 1er Cru comes across as quite reduced on the nose, not quite as well defined as some of Virgile Lignier’s Morey Premier Crus. The palate is sweet and candied on the entry, offering bright red cherries laced with blood orange and flecks of dark chocolate. Grippy toward the finish, with a saline aftertaste. It just needs some bottle age to let it coalesce.’ (91-93) Vinous Media, Neal Martin January 2020

2018 Clos de la Roche Grand cru
”(from a .27 ha parcel, most of which is young vines of 15+ years of age though there is a parcel approximating 15% of the total with ~40 years of age; 80% whole cluster). An exceptionally ripe nose flashes poached plum nuances on the mix of red and dark berry fruit aromas where additional breadth is present in the form of menthol, violet and soft spice wisps. There is equally good freshness on the palate of the well-detailed and minerally big-bodied flavors that exhibit outstanding power on the robust, muscular and lingering finish. This firmly structured effort is impressive and much more vibrant than it was from cask last year. 94/2035+” Burghound.com January 2021
’The 2018 Clos-de-la-Roche Grand Cru, matured with 80% whole bunch, has an intense blackberry nose with strong undergrowth and seaweed aromas. The medium-bodied palate features crunchy black fruit. Here I feel the stem addition slightly dominates the finish, so hopefully that will be subsumed with time. Maybe this is one cuvée from the domaine where I might have dialed down the whole bunch.’ (91-93) Vinous Media, Neal Martin January 2020

small quantities of some previous vintages are available on enquiry