"Clos de la Roche" MCMLV Grand Cru AOC 2022

Cool clarity, fine-grained structure, long finish: a precisely drawn Pinot Noir with great concentration yet no heaviness. Barely two barrels per vintage; the bottle ranks among the most sought-after Pinot Noirs of the Côte de Nuits.

Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte de Nuits. In the climat Monts Luisants, at the upper edge of the Grand Cru Clos de la Roche, stand twenty-seven rows of vines planted in 1955 by Henri Lignier. From their wood he propagated the remaining plots vine by vine in the 1960s; these rows are the genetic origin of the domaine. The old vines are prone to millerandage and bear tiny, often seedless berries of high concentration. The Lignier family has farmed vines here since the 1880s.

Pinot Noir, single varietal. Laurent Lignier runs the estate in its fifth generation and removed synthetic products from the vineyards in 2007. The cellar in Morey works by gravity alone, from the must to the bottling, without a single pump. Long, cool maceration before fermentation, a growing proportion of whole bunches, restrained new oak from four coopers so that no barrel imprints itself on the wine. Since 2017, Laurent Lignier has bottled this plot separately, as the cuvée MCMLV, Roman numerals for 1955.

Silky and concentrated, with fine-grained tannin and vibrant acidity. Dark cherry and blackcurrant stay cool, backed by undergrowth and spice; the finish is long and taut. 13.0% vol., dry.

Roast breast of pigeon with red wine jus, saddle of venison with juniper jus, venison with cranberries or duck breast. Equally, truffle dishes, porcini mushrooms and ripe Époisses.

The Roman numerals on the label mark the planting year 1955, a tribute to grandfather Henri Lignier. Opened young, the wine calls for a generous decanter; five to ten years in the cellar will reward patience.