2012 Domaine Georges Lignier, Chambolle-Musigny, Red Burgundy, France.
Ligner is a domaine to watch, there seems a lot to get excited about with the wines here and I was thrilled by the 2011 vintage offerings I tasted recently, especially the Grand Cru wines, as well as this up coming release of Chambolle-Musigny from estate vines that cut through three Premier Cru plots and are a good 70 years old. The 2012 Lignier Chambolle is fresh, pure, dynamic and shows lovely terroir distinction with aromas ranging from rose petals, violets, wild berry, kirsch to earth, savory elements and spices leading to a firm young palate of old school charms with red cherry, blackberry, plum and spiced red peach fruits along with forest notes, cedar, truffle and mineral/stony essences. There is plenty to admire here with fine grain tannins, vivid acidity and good density, structure and classic proportions, this wine looks set to be a real gem of a Pinot Noir and offers quite a solid value for a 2012 offering, I must say it was a pleasure meeting Benoit Stehly of Domaine Georges Linger and getting a chance to taste his wines, I’m grateful to importer Rosenthal for the experience, all the wines on show were exceptional and stylish, and while the 2012’s are the holy grail for collectors, you’d do really well for yourselves to grab some of the 2011 from Lignier, in fact you can get some of their Grand Cru wines at less than many 2012 Premier Cru, with Clos St.-Denis, Clos de la Roche and Bonnes Mares all showing fantastic, plus their Morey-St.-Denis is awesome as well. The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny should hit the market in March or April of this year (2015) and it should be one to look for, but be sure to be patient, drink from 2018 to 2024.
($76 Est.) 93+ Points, grapelive
