Pommard "En Brescul" AOC 2023 1500ml Magnum

A Pinot Noir of cool clarity: densely built, finely drawn, with tannin that provides structure without ever becoming broad. The magnum slows the wine's evolution, and it is built for years in the cellar.

The grapes grow in the climat En Brescul in the commune of Pommard, whose deep, iron-rich clay-marl soils give the wines density and tannic structure. The Lignier family has tended vines since the 1880s; the estate is based in Morey-Saint-Denis, where Laurent Lignier now runs it in the fifth generation.

Pure Pinot Noir. Before fermentation, the must undergoes a long, cold soak, with the proportion of whole clusters having increased over the years. The cellar, built in 2008, relies on gravity alone — from the must to the bottling, no pump ever touches the wine. Laurent Lignier uses new oak sparingly and sources barrels from four different coopers so that none leaves its own stamp on the wine. Synthetic products have been banned from the vineyards since 2007.

Dark cherry, blackberry and plum, underscored by violet, damp earth, clove and cedarwood. The palate stays taut, the tannin silky and fine-grained, the finish long and clear.

Beef fillet with red wine sauce, bœuf bourguignon, coq au vin or braised leg of lamb with herbes de Provence. Pair with aged Époisses and Comté. Best decanted from the magnum and given time in the glass.

1500 ml magnum, 13.5% vol., dry. Bottled by Domaine Hubert Lignier in Morey-Saint-Denis.