CHARMES CHAMBERTIN

2016 Aux Charmes Grand Cru Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair

EN PRIMEUR

70% Whole bunch this year, which adds a great dimension you can sot just towards the finish. On the attack this is loaded with lovely Christmas spices mixed well with sprightly, bright, red fruits. There are pale plum notes and super aromatics of flowers too. Really flattering, really fun. 'Charmant'. A very good Charmes. L&S (Oct 2017)

* 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.

(from Charmes proper; 70% whole cluster but without the central stem). A deft touch of wood sets off the earthy and mildly sauvage-inflected aromas that consist mainly of plum liqueur though like the Aux Réas there is a hint of volatile acidity lurking in the background. The velvety and generously proportioned middle-weight flavors retain reasonable detail on the delicious if not especially dense flavors that firm up on the lingering finish. The VA is sufficiently subtle that it probably won’t bother most tasters but it is incumbent upon me to point it out. Drinking range: 2028 - Rating: 90 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jan 2019)

Cask sample. Excellent fruit clarity – black cherry, redcurrant, cranberry, brambles – you name it. Really opulent and layered, with excellent persistence and complexity on the finish. Delicious vanilla spices on the length. Drinking range: 2020 - 2046 Rating: 18 Richard Hemming MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Feb 2018)

(from Charmes proper; 70% whole cluster but without the central stem). This too is moderately reduced though hints of floral character can be discerned and they can also be found on the medium weight, detailed and chiseled flavors that display fine length on the overtly austere finale. Patience definitely required. Drinking range: 2028 - Rating: 90-93 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jan 2018)

(vinified with 70% whole clusters, the highest of the range, but Liger-Belair removed the main trunk of the stems by hand; aging in 50% new oak): Bright ruby-red. A bit deeper-pitched and less showy on the nose than the Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas, with aromas of plum, black cherry, cassis and licorice sweetened by the oak element. Mouthfilling, supple, sweet wine with savory soil tones and a solid mineral underpinning but on the soft, plump side for grand cru. Finishes with firm but sweet tannins and sneaky length. These vines are planted on a north-south axis, and Liger-Belair began noting Aux Charmes on the label with the 2014 bottling. Rating: 90-92 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Jan 2018)

Generously aromatic on nose and palate. A wonderful bouquet. This is airy and delicate. It is full, plenty of volume, but shows delicacy. At the moment the finish, which is long, straight and tight, maybe shows the whole bunch in the minty note..more so than in 2015, but there is vibrancy too and the perfume. It’s a very good Charmes. Drinking range: 2023 - Rating: 19.4 Sarah Marsh MW, The Burgundy Briefing (Nov 2017)

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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