Coming from one of the best-situated Premier Cru Pinot Noir vineyards and the resurgent Georges Lignier domaine, today’s extraordinary “vintage of the century” Burgundy is about as profound and sought after as they come. This fiery-hot collectible is an essential blue-chip investment that fits in perfectly amongst the Chambertins, Bonnes-Mares, Musignys, and Clos de Vougeots of the world. In other words, it’s legitimate Grand Cru material in my book.
We’ve always preached that certain village-level Burgundies can match Premier Crus and that some Premier Crus can stand up to the “untouchable” Grand Crus, but perhaps there’s no stronger example of the latter than today’s offer. First, you must factor in the rarity: Though an impressive range of wines from Lignier have been showcased on SommSelect, we’ve come up bone-dry when it comes to their minuscule .4-hectare holding in 1er Cru “Les Combottes.” Second, flawless winemaking in the legendary 2015 vintage made for a soulful, intensely concentrated Burgundy with headline-worthy cellar potential. Thirdly, and most excitingly, is “Les Combottes” hard-to-believe location: It’s entirely surrounded by
three Grand Cru vineyards (Clos de la Roche from the south; Latricières-Chambertin and Mazoyères-Chambertin from the north)! If you can’t see that this severely allocated gem has the entire package, then I’ll have to assume that luxurious, age-worthy, top-ranking Burgundy just isn’t for you. Less than seven cases are available for purchase...
Still not convinced? Let’s dive into a quick numbers game: There are thousands upon thousands of vineyards in Burgundy. Nearly 600 of them are rated Premier Cru and just 30-something hold the coveted Grand Cru status. And yet, despite the complicated patchwork of land and hierarchy, there is only one Premier Cru in the entire Côte d’Or that is surrounded by Grand Crus (we have GuildSomm to thank for that piece of trivia). That vineyard in question is proudly listed on the label of today’s wine: “Les Combottes.”
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 “Bonnes-Mares” and “Clos de la Roche,” not to mention today’s Premier Cru slice in “Les Combottes,” it’s hard to dispute that Lignier has perhaps the 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 most prestigious addresses.
Benoit’s 60-year-old vine holdings in “Les Combottes” amount to .4 hectares, or just under one single acre. 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; a close eye is kept on barrel levels, amount of new oak, and fermentation temperatures. After 18 months of aging in 33% new French barrels, today’s wine was bottled without any fining or filtration, but this isn’t your earthy, ethereal, mushroom-scented Burgundy. On the contrary, the property’s recent celebrity is built on wines that possess intensely vibrant, deeply layered, pure fruit.
Getting our hands on the top wines of Georges Lignier has always been a hard-earned experience, but it’s one that’s extremely rewarding upon pulling the cork. For their Grand Cru bottlings, and today’s 2015 1er Cru “Les Combottes,” we always allow a long decant to embrace the outside world before serving in large Burgundy stems. In the glass, the wine reveals a deep ruby with vibrant magenta hues and erupts with irresistible aromas: black cherry, muddled raspberry, ripe red plums, pomegranate, violets, steeped black tea, smoky underbrush, damp rose petal, turned soil, and a pinch of baking spices. The medium-plus palate is luscious, savory, and brimming with high-toned energy that glides across the palate. The fine-grained tannins provide firm grip, but at the core of this elite wine is an intoxicating blend of plush black-red fruit and savory accents of crushed minerality. At year five, it’s already a wildly expressive and fragrant Burgundy, but I’m still investing in this wine’s bright future: Open one now and enjoy your others in five-year intervals. Cheers!
