Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Petite Chapelle" AOC 2023

A Gevrey-Chambertin that works through clarity rather than power. The fruit stays dark and cool, the tannin fine-grained, the mid-palate well defined. A wine that gains contour with air and values length over sheer fullness.

The Petite Chapelle climat lies in Gevrey-Chambertin on the Côte de Nuits, bordering the village's Grands Crus. The Lignier family has been growing Pinot Noir in Morey-Saint-Denis since the 1880s and holds parcels scattered across the Côte de Nuits; Laurent Lignier now runs the domaine as its fifth generation.

Pure Pinot Noir, vinified dry, 13.5% ABV. Synthetic treatments disappeared from the vineyards from 2007 onward. The cellar, moved to Morey-Saint-Denis in 2008, works entirely by gravity: from the must to bottling, no pump ever touches the wine. Long, cool macerations precede fermentation, the share of whole clusters has grown over the years, while the proportion of new oak has been deliberately reduced and spread across four different cooperages so no single barrel sets the tone.

On the nose, dark cherry and wild berries, joined by floral notes, fine herbs and a subtle spice. On the palate, crisp acidity and fine-grained tannin carry a cool, precise fruit; the finish remains long and unadorned.

Pairs well with partridge with lentils, duck breast with cherries, rack of lamb in herb crust or bœuf bourguignon. Also a fitting match for aged Époisses and Comté.

The domaine traces back to parcels bought by Jacques Lignier in the 1880s, after phylloxera had devalued them. In 1973, Hubert Lignier decided to bottle the wines himself rather than sell them off as bulk wine.