MOREY SAINT DENIS

2020 1er Cru Les Chenevery Domaine Lignier-Michelot

EN PRIMEUR

Virgile's vines are 5m away from those in Faconnières, but here's hard limestone under this. Immediately finer texture, it's brighter and mas more lift from the mineral. Silky and fresh, flower petals feel, but such depth of black fruit, as if dusted with graphite. Tauter tannins on the finish seems to suggest a higher acidity too. Drinking range: 2030 - 2045L&S (Nov 2021)

* 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.

This is also aromatically quite cool and even more restrained with its combination of brooding aromas of poached plum, black cherry, violet and a gamy hint. The sleek and almost painfully intense flavors possess both fine power and plenty of minerality on the dusty, compact and built-to-age finale. This is often the best 1er cru in the Lignier range but in 2020 it has serious competition. Drinking range: 2032 - Rating: 91-93 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jan 2022)

The 2020 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Chenevery 1er Cru was showing just a little more oak on the nose compared to Virgile Lignier’s other Morey Premier Crus. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins, weighty and broad-shouldered, fine acidity with just a touch of dark chocolate/mocha towards the persistent finish. Lot of horsepower here, though I err more towards the Faconnières or Genavrières this year. Drinking range: 2025 - 2048 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 2021)

A domaine of 11 hectares, 25% regionals, 50% Villages, 20% Premiers crus and 5% Grands Crus. Virgile Lignier worked at the domaine with his father Maurice from 1988, beginning to bottle some of the wine from 1992 (it had previously been sold to the négoce), taking over in 2000, which was the vintage when he first bottled all the domaine's production.

In the vineyard Virgile made significant changes, stopping the use of herbicides, and beginning to plough instead. Green harvesting to limits yields followed, along with greater attention to grape selection. The domaine works organically except in extremis.

The wines have a lovely combination of enough body and richness, combined with a lively clarity of expression. The old vines village cuvées are seriously good, and great value too. Going up the scale each site seems to speak very clearly of its source and there is a brightness and energy along with full, seamless fruit.

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Wines bought en primeur are scheduled to arrive in the UK over the course of the next eighteen months. If you do not wish to take home delivery, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our primeurs team for more information.

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BURGUNDY EN PRIMEUR FAQ

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