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VOSNE ROMANÉE

2016 Aux Réas Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair

EN PRIMEUR
Pinot NoirRedFrance,BurgundyCôte d'OrCôte de NuitsVosne Romanée 13%Aux Réas

Down to half the normal harvest this year. This is red fruited, with lovely brisk acidity. An appetising, clean and perky core. Redcurrants and cranberry. but then a gently grippy edge builds. All bunches are de-stemmed as Thibault did not want to add further tension here between the bright fruit and the more earthy, ineral undertones. Not lean, but retrained and pert certainly. Mineral and aerien. L&S (Oct 2017)

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There is a hint of volatile acidity that adds lift to the nose of plum, violet, spice and red and dark currant aromas. There is very good richness and mid-palate volume to the caressing medium-bodied flavors that flash a touch of austerity on the mouth coating finish. This is a relatively big Vosne villages, indeed the word robust comes to mind. Note that my rating assumes that the VA will remain no more than a hint. Drinking range: 2026 - Rating: 88 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jan 2019)

Moderately firm reduction presently dominates the underlying fruit. Otherwise there is very good richness and mid-palate volume to the caressing medium-bodied flavors that flash a touch of austerity on the mouth coating finish. This is a relatively big Vosne villages, indeed the word robust comes to mind. Drinking range: 2024 - Rating: 88-90 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jan 2018)

(the crop was down 50% due to the frost; 100% destemmed): Dark ruby-red. Inviting, rich aromas of black raspberry, flowers and bitter chocolate are accompanied by a positive hint of iodiney reduction. Sappy and vinous in the mouth, showing excellent energy to its flavors of dark raspberry, blackberry, spices, flowers and saline minerality. Finishes very long and fresh, with repeating notes of flowers and salty minerals and firm, spicy tannins that spread out and build. This wine will likely require at least a few years to harmonize in bottle and should last very well. A superb village wine in the making--Liger-Belair describes this site as village-plus. (Incidentally Liger-Belair did not make a Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers in 2016.) Rating: 90-92 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Jan 2018)

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas, which was 100% destemmed, sported some reduction on the nose that Thibaut wants to keep in barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit, fine acidity and a fresh, well-structured, minerally finish that punches above its village cru status. Drinking range: 2020 - 2032 Rating: 90-92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 2017)

Aux Reas: The rocks come through here. Lots of limestone; it slopes south. Usually 8 barrels. 4 this years. “Not much soil and you can see the rocks and here you cannot plant vines. It is not a classic VR village.” Lovely summer fruits on the aroma. It is fine, tight and has a salty minerality. The edges are trim and there is energy and focus. At the moment a touch of oak at the end maybe, but will integrate. A good juxtaposition of bright fruit and minerality. Edgy Vosne-Romanee village. There is an austere edge. Rating: 16.35 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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