Lignier Michelot Clos De La Roche Grand Cru 2015

Domaine Lignier-Michelot is a family story that started 3 generations ago, in the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. A Domaine of 11 hectares, 25% regionals, 50% Villages, 20% Premiers crus and 5% Grands Crus. Virgile Lignier worked at the Domaine with his father Maurice from 1988, beginning to bottle some of the wine in 1992 (it had previously been sold to the négoce), taking over in 2000, which was the vintage when he first bottled all the Domaine's production.

In the vineyard Virgile made significant changes, stopping the use of herbicides, and beginning to plough instead. Green harvesting to limit yields followed, along with greater attention to grape selection. The Domaine works organically except in the extremis.

The wines have a lovely combination of enough body and richness, combined with a lively clarity of expression. The old vines village cuvées are seriously good, and great value too. Going up the scale each site seems to speak very clearly of its source and there is brightness and energy along with full, seamless fruit.

Clos de la Roche; often considered the finest vineyard in the whole appellation, Clos de la Roche can create the deepest and most broodingly intense examples of Pinot Noir Morey St. Denis has to offer. This is due to the soils of this Grand Cru being rich in marl (lime-rich mud), which gives these wines greater depth, body and ability to age.