CHARMES CHAMBERTIN

2014 Grand Cru Thibault Liger-Belair

EN PRIMEUR

Made from grapes bought in, from a vineyard Thibault works. From the upper part of the vineyard 'Haut Charmes', just by the junction of le Chambertin and Latricières. Clay with quite a lot of limestone. 40% whole bunch, although he removes the central stem. Not yet really expressive, but the density of fruit in the fine tannin on the finish suggests that this will get there with a bit more time. Drinking range: 2023 - L&S (Nov 2015)

75cl bottles (wood case of 6)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

(40% vendange entier): Palish bright medium red. Inviting soil-driven scents of redcurrant, dried flowers, mocha and earth, plus a whiff of smoked meat. Then almost surprisingly tight in the mouth, but showing excellent energy to its youthfully inexpressive red berry and floral flavors. This savory, rather strict version of Charmes will need patience. Finishes with a fine dusting of tannins. Drinking range: 2023 - 2033 Rating: 91 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Mar 2017)

(40% vendange entier): Palish bright medium red. Inviting soil-driven scents of redcurrant, dried flowers, mocha and earth, plus a whiff of smoked meat. Then almost surprisingly tight in the mouth, but showing excellent energy to its youthfully inexpressive red berry and floral flavors. This savory, rather strict version of Charmes will need patience. Finishes with a fine dusting of tannins. Drinking range: 2023 - 2033 Rating: 91+ Stephen Tanzer, www.vinousmedia.com (Mar 2017)

(from Charmes proper; 40% whole clusters). An exceptionally fresh, pure and surprisingly expressive nose features plenty of floral character on the red cherry, pomegranate, earth and soft sauvage elements. The fleshy and velvet-textured medium-bodied flavors possess a notably round mid-palate before tightening up considerably on the saline and mildly austere finish that really coats the mouth with dry extract. Drinking range: - 2024 Rating: 90-93 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jan 2016)

Fermented with 40% whole bunches but no pigeage, so as not to extract too much tannin, this is made with purchased grapes, but reflects the quality of Thibault Liger-Belair’s line up in 2014. Elegant, floral and deceptively easy to drink, this doesn’t show its 70% new oak. Drinking range: 2019 - 2028 Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Jan 2016)

The 2014 Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru has a little more tight-grained oak this year, and Thibault detached the main stems from the berries that he felt they were too thick. It has an attractive, fragrant and quite mineral-driven bouquet that is nicely detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with orange sorbet on the entry, quite citric in the mouth with a sense of airiness on the finish. It is fine, but I was seeking a bit more weight here. Drinking range: 2018 - 2032 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 2015)

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.