Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
Thibault Liger-Belair has two hectares in Les Saint Georges, the vineyard which gives Nuits the rest of its name, and 60 ares out of a total of 4 hectares of the Grand Cru Richebourg, as well as a good holding in the Clos Vougeot and some well-placed village wines. The vineyards are a good start, but it is Thibault himself who has catapulted this domaine straight into the very top echelons of Côte de Nuits domaines from his first vintage (2002). Thibault was trained as an oenologist but first worked as a wine buyer. He has come to wine making with a wide experience of wine buying, and has had the advantage of having discussed wine-making for many years, with the benefit of his oenological background, with some of the best winemakers of the world. Viticulture is biodynamic (since 2005), yields low but not ludicrously low, everything is pragmatic, so that he should be doing just what is necessary and no more. He uses 40-50% new wood maximum. The wines are bright, pure, focused, aromatic and elegant without lacking anything in the way of stuffing.
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Côte d'Or Burgundy France
A fatter riper style than the Corvée de Villy, in which the fruit is ripe black cherry, remaining taut and braced.
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Côte d'Or Burgundy France
A touch of reduction made this hard to taste, tautening up the fruit and making the wood stand out, but despite the impression of wiry force, it fills out with a lovely red fruit on the middle and especially on the finish.
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Côte d'Or Burgundy France
Another brilliant example of this wine, backward and undeveloped, yet rich, with density and power, but this is so beautifully balanced that it is easy, delicate, soft. Blackberry and cherry mix with gliding minerals in a lovely voluptuousness, just kept in check by a tannic frame on the finish.
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Côte d'Or Burgundy France
A wine which certainly has volume. A touch of reduction hardened it up at my tasting, but this is quite a mouthful, with graphite and crunch, but still with precision and delicacy, and fine fruit is still coming back at the finish. This is another very fine Les Saint Georges from Thibault.
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Côte d'Or Burgundy France
Very aromatic. An immediate taste of strawberry bon-bons fills out to a broader spectrum of fruit, backed up by a firm structure. Lovely finish. Real personality.
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Côte d'Or Burgundy France
Magnums
Still only just finishing its malo, so hard and gassy, but wonderfully pure and fat, floral (red roses), a mass of minerals and fruit playing on the palate all the way to the finish. Long and very impressive.