Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Petite Chapelle" AOC 2022

A premier cru of cool precision: dark cherry, red berries, fine-grained tannin, a clear outline and a long finish. The wine relies on tension and depth rather than fullness, and gains with air and bottle age.

Gevrey-Chambertin lies in the Côte de Nuits, where the domaine also farms parcels in Morey-Saint-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny. The Lignier family has worked with Pinot Noir in Morey-Saint-Denis since the 1880s: Jacques Lignier bought land back then that had been devalued by phylloxera, which his son Jules patiently replanted. Today Laurent Lignier runs the estate in its fifth generation.

Pure Pinot Noir, vinified dry, 13.5% vol. Since 2007 the vineyards have been farmed without synthetic inputs. The cellar in Morey-Saint-Denis, occupied since 2008, works without pumps — the wine moves by gravity alone. Long, cool macerations precede fermentation; the share of whole clusters has grown over the years, while new oak is deliberately kept back and spread across four cooperages so no single barrel dominates.

Juicy, cool fruit of cherry and raspberry, alongside violet, blackcurrant and a touch of undergrowth. The tannin is fine-grained, the acidity vibrant, the finish clear and long.

Duck breast with cherries, pigeon on lentils, saddle of venison with mushroom jus or coq au vin. Equally fitting with mushroom risotto, aged Époisses and mild Comté.

Hubert Lignier began bottling his own wines in 1973, rather than selling them as bulk wine to the trade; every bottle has carried the house's name ever since. Bottled at the domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis.