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Georges Lignier et Fils, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain

Burgundy, France 2016 (750mL)
$26.00
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Georges Lignier et Fils, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain

For decades, Hubert Lignier has reigned as one of the most prestigious names in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits. Still, between the 2014 and 2016 vintages, the domaine of cousin Georges Lignier has charged into the consciousness of collectors and critics with an onslaught of epic Grand and Premier Cru reds. Jancis Robinson MW says she is “hugely impressed” and Vinous describes the experience of tasting these releases as “superb,” “captivating,” and “a revelation.”
Still, if you attempt to locate bottles on US retail shelves or restaurant wine lists, you will soon discover they have vanished—I have not seen one bottle of 2014, 2015, or 2016 Georges Lignier Premier or Grand Cru in North America. So, it’s a euphoric experience to be offering any Lignier at all—especially today’s breathtaking 2016 Passetoutgrain, a wine dominated by Pinot Noir with a healthy dose of Gamay, all from ancient vineyards located entirely in Lignier’s “home turf” of Morey-Saint-Denis. While it erupts with luscious, pristine fruit and invigorating minerality now, I’m investing in this wine’s future. After all, any current release red from Georges Lignier is an annuity: Purchase a six-pack or case today, and it will reward you for years to come.
Domaine Georges Lignier has been producing wine in Morey-Saint-Denis for decades, and with the single largest stake in Grand Cru Clos Saint-Denis, plus significant ownership in Grand Crus Clos de la Roche and Bonnes-Mares, it’s hard to dispute that Lignier possesses the single most valuable collection of vineyards in the appellation. Benoit Stehly, nephew of Georges Lignier, apprenticed in the vines and cellar for 10+ years before assuming control in 2008. Following an era of post-succession confusion and stylistic soul-searching, the quality of the wine at this address has skyrocketed in recent vintages and now matches the extraordinary potential of the real estate. As a result, Domaine Georges Lignier is now one of the village’s powerhouses and a critical sensation. 

The property’s signature methods in the vines and cellar are classic, but the “house style” is one that puts a premium on complexity and depth of aroma: fruit is harvested slightly later than that of their neighbors; generally 80% is de-stemmed; and a close eye is kept on barrel levels and fermentation temperatures. As the wines are neither fined nor filtered, this is not your earthy, savory, mushroom-scented Burgundy. On the contrary, the property’s recent celebrity is built on a lineup of wines that possess intensely vibrant, pure fruit.  That same vividness and “lift” is what makes today’s wine such a coup for your cellar.

With a composition of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Gamay hailing exclusively from ancient vineyards in Morey-Saint-Denis, today’s 2016 Bourgogne Passetoutgrain leaps from the decanter with plump forest berries, luscious cherry and piquant green strawberry fruit, buttressed by riveting limestone minerality and gusts of forest freshness that keeps the wine singing on your palate for minutes after each sip. This past weekend I discovered that, without any air or time in decanter, it’s already a deeply fulfilling red with which to chase a bearnaise-glazed bite of steak frites. Still, I’m confident that the same energy that makes this bottle so pleasurable today, also equips it perfectly for an impressive evolution over the next 3-6 years in the cellar. It’s all but impossible to find Domaine Georges Lignier’s reds in the US today—and when you do, they tend to be ruthlessly expensive. So, I’m happy to take the name, the quality, and the outstanding price of today’s wine and run with it. You will be, too!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceMorey-Saint-Denis
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
Uncertified Organic
Blend
Pinot Noir 60%, Gamay 40%
Alcohol
12.0
OAK
Mostly Neutral French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2023
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Steak Frites w/ Bearnaise Butter

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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