Chambolle-Musigny "Les Bussières" AOC 2023 1500ml Magnum

A Pinot Noir of cool clarity: ruby red with violet reflections, silky in texture, with fine-grained tannin and an acidity that keeps the fruit lifted. Not a powerhouse wine, but one built for length and precision.

The grapes come from the Les Bussières site in Chambolle-Musigny, Côte de Nuits. The Lignier family has farmed vines in Morey-Saint-Denis since the 1880s: Jacques Lignier bought parcels back then that phylloxera had devalued, and his son Jules patiently replanted them. Hubert Lignier began bottling the wines himself in 1973; over the decades, sites across the Côte de Nuits were added, including Chambolle-Musigny.

Single-varietal Pinot Noir. Laurent Lignier has run the Domaine since 2013, the fifth generation; from 2007 onward, synthetic products disappeared from the vineyards, and the soils are ploughed. The cellar in Morey, occupied since 2008, works solely by gravity — from the crush to bottling, no pump is used. Vinification begins with long, cool macerations; the proportion of whole clusters has grown over the years, while new oak has been deliberately scaled back and spread across four coopers, so that no single barrel leaves its mark on the wine.

A silky flow, cherry and raspberry in the fruit, alongside violet, a touch of spice and a fine hint of oak. Dry, 14.0% vol., with vibrant acidity, fine tannin and a long, fruit-driven finish.

Roast duck breast with cherries, coq au vin or veal fillet in a herb crust; among cheeses, aged Comté and Brie de Meaux.

The 1500 ml magnum: the larger volume slows development, making this bottle one built for the cellar. Bottled at the Domaine Hubert Lignier in Morey-Saint-Denis.