Description
Morey-St-Denis 1er Cru “Clos des Ormes” Domaine Georges Lignier 2017
Domaine Georges Lignier, Morey St Denis
Benoît Stehly, nephew of Georges Lignier, has run the estate since 2008 after working at the domaine for a decade alongside his uncle. His approach is very delicate, as he seeks to achieve maximum aromatic concentration, and quality has improved dramatically as a result. At the Villages level, the wines are matured in used oak barrels, while 1er Crus see 30% new oak and Grand Crus 50% new oak. A seam of seductive elegance runs throughout the range of wines. Benoît’s deep respect for tradition allied to a sublime expression of each terroir shapes his decisions, ensuring that the wines evoke their precise origins with clarity and poise. Since 2010, the wines are neither fined nor filtered. The domaine has an enviable spread of 16ha of vineyards encompassing 50 parcels including top Grand Crus. They are the largest owner of Clos Saint-Denis, at 1.5ha, and control over a hectare of Clos de la Roche.
Domaine Georges Lignier owns a full 2 hectares out of the 4 hectares that comprises the “Clos des Ormes”, making this estate by far the largest holder, as the remaining 2 hectares are split between seven different owners. Obviously, this impeccably situated “cru” is one of the more important appellations of the estate and much attention is paid to rendering a wine of great finesse and grace. Interestingly, the Lignier holdings here are amongst the “youngest” of the domaine as the average age is 45 years, old vines for sure but less so in the context of the domaine as an entirety.
Ripe perfume of cherry, raspberry, dried flowers and crushed rock. A step up in silky ripeness from the estate’s village wines, but also offering lovely inner-mouth energy and precision to its sweet, smooth flavors of red berries, mocha, minerals and flowers. There’s more wine here! The rising spicy/floral finish displays substantial but fine-grained tannins and a leathery nuance. Perhaps a touch rustic but I like this. Clos des Ormes is the estate’s largest holding, at two hectares, and includes a range of soil types and vine age.
Grape: 100% Pinot Noir
