Domaine Thibault Liger-BelairMar/Apr 09 When I told Thibault Liger-Belair that I was particularly impressed by the pungent minerality of his 2007s and 2006s, he agreed that his wines are getting more energy and precision but couldn't really explain why. After some reflection, he mentioned that he has put a lot of effort into forcing the roots deeper and that this might well be the explanation. He noted, for example, that there are about 30 centimeters of dark clay soil over calcaire in his Nuits-Saint-Georges La Charmotte vineyard, and that even in vintage 2005 he was not able to get much minerality out of this site. Liger-Belair did a painstaking ten-day pass through the vines in 2007 to reduce the crop load and aerate the grapes, and for that reason it was necessary to do less sorting at harvest time than in 2006. He carried out a very gentle vinification in 2007, using infusion to extract what the grapes had to offer before the temperature of the must rose much above 28oC. He views the wines as dense and opulent, with round tannins. In contrast, the 2006s are more austere, tannic wines. "They show the finesse of pinot but with rigor," he told me. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL) (picked on September 18 and 19, at 13% natural alcohol) Minerally nose. Juicy, spicy flavors of minerals and leather. Offers very good cut and precision, not to mention intensity. Finishes firm, pure and persistent. Medium red. The nose screams out chalky minerality. Pungent, energetic flavors of sweet red fruits, spices and minerals. Begins a bit narrow, then spreads out nicely on the back half, finishing with a whiplash of flavor and sweet tannins. This will be very easy to drink. (A Gevrey La Croix des Champs, from vines Liger-Belair took back in 2006, seemed rather shallow and dry.) (Liger-Belair buys grapes; 30% vendange entier Medium red. Smoky redcurrant and tobacco aromas, with a slightly exotic aspect. Supple and sweet, with ripe, nicely integrated acidity leavening the almost decadent flavors of redcurrant, smoke and earth. Palish red. High-toned, oaky aroma of raspberry liqueur; Liger-Belair maintained that the volatility will disappear when the wine is racked. Round and fat but a bit heavy. Horizontal rather than vertical wine. I may have caught this on a bad day. Good medium red. Sexy red fruits and spices on the slightly high-toned nose. Suave, lush and fine-grained, with a round texture enlivened by finishing minerality. Elegant and very 2007 in style. Liger-Belair describes Rognet as "premier cru-quality grand cru." (50% vendange entier Good bright, deep red. Reduced aromas of raspberry and smoked meat; not yet pristine. Sweet and round but with a lovely mineral underpinning to the pungent herb and spice flavors. Dense for village wine, but with a rocky, vibrant impression of calcaire Just a tad tough on the back end today. (vinified entirely with its stems) Medium red. High-toned exotic fruits, smoked meat, mocha and game on the liqueur-like nose. At once suave and firm, with terrific complexity to its spicy dark fruit flavors. This is 14% natural alcohol but does not come off as warm or heavy. On the contrary, it's a chewy, crunchy wine with a serious backbone for aging. If Rognet should be premier cru, as Liger-Belair suggests, this has real grand cru depth. (destemmed) Good full red. Cool aromas of black fruits, violet, menthol and mint. Spicy, juicy and penetrating, with lovely fresh acidity framing and lifting the cassis, blackberry, mineral and floral flavors. Wonderfully pure, perfumed wine with terrific energy and length. Liger-Belair ranks this with the '05 as his best vintage from these vines. (entirely destemmed) Good bright, deep red. Very closed on the nose. Then suave and fine-grained but quite high-pitched in the mouth, conveying medicinal and mineral elements and very little obvious sweetness. Finishes with rather powerful tannins that make the wine hard to taste today despite its obviously strong underlying material. Good deep red. Brooding cassis and raspberry aromas are lifted by a pungent minerality. Dense, sweet and powerful, conveying an impression of great concentration and energy. Not yet exuberant in the middle palate but explosive on the very long aftertaste, coating the cheeks and molars with flavor. This boasts great vivacity for the vintage. ($68) Good medium red. Redcurrant and smoke on the nose. Sweet and lush but with a firm mineral underpinning giving it shape. Finishes with solid tannins that call for some patience. ($88) Good deep red. Reticent, slightly high-toned nose conveys a menthol, medicinal character; smells austere. Offers good juicy cut and verve on the palate but currently comes across as rigid, with mouthcoating tannins calling for at least five or six years of cellaring. Liger-Belair bottled this in January of 2008, which he believes may have been too early. ($115) Good, bright medium red. Sexy high-toned aromas of small wild red fruits, minerals, game and faded rose. Much sweeter and broader in the mouth today than the Reas, which is hard by comparison. Impressively deep, dense wine with a long, ripe finish featuring lingering notes of red fruits, spices and mocha. ($164) Good full red. Reticent aromas of spicy red fruits, fresh herbs and leather. Dense but juicy, with good purity of flavor. Not exactly open for business but easier to taste than the young 2007 version. Finishes long and scented, with lovely cling and minerality. ($417) Good deep red. Highly nuanced nose combines cassis, black cherry, violet and bitter chocolate. Dense, solid and sweet but with superb mineral cut giving the mid-palate a suave weightlessness. This very serious, soil-driven grand cru really saturates the palate with black and blue fruit flavors and excites the taste buds on the very long finish. The tannins are wonderfully broad. |
Thibault Liger-Belair le 16/03/09 dans
