Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Chabiots" AOC 2022

A lively Pinot Noir of cool clarity: translucent, floral in character, finely built, with a sensual finish and good length.

The parcel lies south of Chambolle-Musigny, above Les Amoureuses and close to the Musignys. Owing to its small size it remains little known, though its potential is great. 2022 was an early-ripening year with record heat: a mild spring, a very sunny and dry summer. Heavy rain at the end of June, up to 150 mm within a few days, helped the vines withstand the water stress of July and August. Harvest began on 1 September.

Pure Pinot Noir, dry, 13.5% vol. The grapes come from vines planted in 1997 and are bought in. Fermentation used around 33% whole clusters, with maceration shortened to 15 to 17 days from the previous 20, to avoid tannin extraction. Very little punching down, infusion rather than extraction, along with gentler pressing than in the past. In the cellar acquired in 2008 in Morey-Saint-Denis, the wine is moved solely by gravity; new oak has been scaled back and spread across four cooperages.

In the glass, a medium, fairly transparent ruby red. The nose stays fine: rose blossom, red berries, wild strawberries and cherries, with herbs and a touch of pepper. On the palate, herbs first, then fruit and blossom, carried by a fine-grained tannin structure and equally fine acidity.

Three barrels from a small parcel. The Lignier family has farmed Pinot Noir in Morey-Saint-Denis since the 1880s; Laurent Lignier runs the domaine in its fifth generation and has worked the vineyards without synthetic products since 2007.