Comte Liger-Belair
Although the Domaine is relatively recent, Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, an engineer and oenologist, is renewing a two hundred year old family tradition. The vines are biodynamicaly cultivated and a horse ploughs part of the vineyard. Owning excellent vineyards, he produces wines that are light, aromatic and elegant.
Read More
Photo
AI Chat
-
(2x75cl) 2016Vinous (90-93)
(from a single unfrosted parcel on the mid-slope on the Vosne-Romanée side, the yield was 35 hectoliters per hectare in 2016): Dark red with ruby highlights. The nose displays a rather cool aspect as well as some spicy oak to the aromas of black cherry, licorice and botanical herbs. Densely packed and very ripe but a bit disorganized in the early going, even brutal, with its medicinal cassis, black cherry, herb and bitter chocolate flavors enlivened by pungent minerality. Today the tannins come across as a bit tough and drying. This wine finished its malolactic fermentation very late and Liger-Belair told me that he may bottle it last, as he did with the 2015 Clos Vougeot.$6,745.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru has an open, expressive bouquet of red berry fruit plus touches of leather and black pepper; it does not quite possess the delineation of the domaine’s top-performing Vosne Premier Crus. The palate is medium-bodied with candied red fruit on the entry and a little more vanilla-y than expected, but there is a plushness and energy on the finish, and hints of dark chocolate on the aftertaste, which render this very sensual. Give this Clos Vougeot 4–5 years in bottle.$3,555.00 -
Vinous (92)
Good medium red. Subtly complex nose offers cherry, raspberry and minerals. Delivers the sweet fruit of 2007 in spades, with a slightly high-toned quality that adds to its sex appeal (all these 2007s have volatile acidity levels around 0.6, according to Liger-Belair, which helps to explain their expressiveness.) Fat and sexy wine, with a complicating saline nuance. Finishes with sweet tannins and superb length.$16,225.00 -
(6x75cl) 2008Vinous (95)
A wine of considerable inner tension, the 2008 Liger-Belair Échézeaux (magnum) presents a compelling dynamic of push and pull between all of the elements that are alive in the glass. Floral, savory aromatics meld into a core of intensely perfumed, powerful fruit, all supported by veins of underlying salinity that add cut. A deep, dense, powerful wine, the 2008 Échézeaux is utterly sublime in so many ways. This is another drop-dead gorgeous beauty from Louis-Michel Liger-Belair. 95$21,725.00 -
(1x75cl) 2011Vinous (95+)
Liger-Belair's 2011 Echezeaux is breathtaking. Red and black stone fruits are intermingled with spice, new leather and violets in a striking, totally seamless wine endowed with tons of nuance. Vibrant and delineated to the core, the Echezeaux is simply magnificent.$2,260.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (97)
A combination of three parcels make up this wine, which is one of the better examples of this often overvalued Grand Cru. It's little marked by oak at present, with flavours that are just beginning to express themselves, but the tannins, the sweet red fruits and the chalky, minerally acidity are appealingy intertwined.$10,875.00 -
Vinous (93-96)
A bevy of dark, baritone-inflected notes emerge from the 2013 Echézeaux. A rich, exotic wine, the 2013 is all about depth and towering structure. Echézeaux often yields relatively accessible Burgundies, but not here. Liger-Belair's 2013 is a big, big wine that is also going to require considerable cellaring. In 2013, this fruit did not come in until October 5, very late by Burgundy standards.$5,805.00 -
Vinous (93-96)
A bevy of dark, baritone-inflected notes emerge from the 2013 Echézeaux. A rich, exotic wine, the 2013 is all about depth and towering structure. Echézeaux often yields relatively accessible Burgundies, but not here. Liger-Belair's 2013 is a big, big wine that is also going to require considerable cellaring. In 2013, this fruit did not come in until October 5, very late by Burgundy standards.$11,530.00 -
Vinous (91+)
Good ruby-red. Wilder on the nose than the Reignots, offering very ripe scents of plum, dark chocolate, brown spices and game. Then big, rich and chocolatey in the mouth, a bit in the style of its 2015 sibling but quite backward and hard to judge today. I get the feeling that this wine is painfully young but I'd be more confident about its ability to reward long cellaring if it showed more of the berry intensity of the other 2014 crus I tasted at this address.$3,370.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2015 Echézeaux Grand Cru is slightly darker in color than its peers. There is a fug of reduction on the nose that makes the fruit profile difficult to discern. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, quite masculine and surly in style, although there is impressive substance and grip on the finish. This is in an awkward stage, but I’m convinced it will coalesce and become much more coherent with bottle age. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.$4,235.00 -
(1x75cl) 2016Vinous (92-95)
(two-thirds Les Cruots and one-third Les Champs Traversins, with both climats losing about 35% of their fruit to frost): Healthy dark red, but not ruby like the Clos Vougeot and Reignots. Lovely subtle carnal perfume to the aromas of raspberry, smoke and mocha. Ripe, sweet and wonderfully refined on the palate; a bit less black fruit in character than most of this estate's other 2016, and nicely leavened by spicy oak and a floral element. Spreads out horizontally and vibrates on the back end, finishing with a late note of dark cherry and subtle floral lift. Classically dry, classy Echézeaux with outstanding potential. (Liger-Belair did not bother to present his Vosne-Romanée Les Brûlées, as he made just a single barrel in 2016.)$4,295.00 -
(1x75cl) 2018Vinous (95)
The 2018 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a precocious, exuberant nose with vibrant red fruit intermixed with orange pith, potpourri and dried herbs - complex and very well delineated. The oak is seamlessly integrated both here and on the palate. It is finely sculpted, fresh and almost minty in character for a period, before the finish delivers quite intense blood orange infused red fruit on the finish. Real pedigree here. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.$4,285.00 -
(6x75cl) 2004LaRVF (95)
Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair La Romanée Grand Cru 2004$31,285.00 -
(3x150cl) 2006Vinous - Neal Martin (97)
Whilst I maintain that Louis-Michel was finding his feet in his first decade at the helm of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, the 2006 La Romanée Grand Cru is perhaps his greatest success from his early period and augurs what followed. This is consistent with previous bottles: heavenly scent purity on the nose that seems to embrace and “cuddle” the olfactory senses, with layers of red and blue fruit, violet and peony. Stunning delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a sumptuous texture and immense depth yet with elegance and poise. The satin mouthfeel is irresistible.$38,560.00 -
(3x75cl) 2011$27,280.00 -
(3x75cl) 2012Vinous (100)
Sweet, succulent red cherries, plums, mint, spices, violets and rose petals hit the palate in the 2012 La Romanée, a wine built on pure, visceral intensity. A huge mid-palate and explosive finish round things out in grand style, but what I admire most about the 2012 is the constant push and pull of finesse and power. There are a number of compelling wines in this tasting, the 2012 is at or near the top of the list. Readers who have the possibility of acquiring a few bottles of the 2012 should not hesitate, as it is truly a wine for kings and queens.$19,955.00 -
(1x75cl) 2016Vinous (97)
The 2016 La Romanée Grand Cru has a lilting bouquet of crushed strawberry and red cherry on the nose, perhaps missing the ambitions and the complexity of the very best vintages that I have tasted over the years. That said, it is very pretty and more open. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and a fine bead of acidity. It gains complexity with aeration and reveals its hidden mineralité, becoming spicy and slightly peppery towards the finish. Excellent, although I would not place it top of the class. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.$8,700.00 -
(1x75cl) 2017Vinous (98)
The 2017 La Romanée Grand Cru shows a minuscule touch of VA on the nose, but not enough to cover the intense brambly red fruit underneath, or the veins of blueberry and violet; instead, it lends energy to the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, a killer line of acidity, and firm but fine, satin-textured tannins. This is full of energy and tension and finishes amazingly long and reassuringly luxuriant. Utterly sublime, and it surpasses my expectations from barrel. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.$7,400.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2018 La Romanée Grand Cru shows quite a bit of new oak on the nose at the moment and this slightly obscures the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, beautifully structured, silky-smooth with palpable energy, tension and precision towards the finish. The aromatics might be entering a dumb phase, but the palate evidences a Grand Cru with serious ambition. This is an ethereal La Romanée that seems to care little for the summer heat of that year and just goes about its job. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.$5,655.00 -
(2x75cl) 2018Vinous (98)
The 2018 La Romanée Grand Cru shows quite a bit of new oak on the nose at the moment and this slightly obscures the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, beautifully structured, silky-smooth with palpable energy, tension and precision towards the finish. The aromatics might be entering a dumb phase, but the palate evidences a Grand Cru with serious ambition. This is an ethereal La Romanée that seems to care little for the summer heat of that year and just goes about its job. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.$16,190.00 -
Decanter (99)
Liger-Belair starts with old vines: this year, 20% of the vines in La Romanée are more than 100 years of age. The result is a beautiful equilibrium between tension and lush, hedonistic fruit. 15–20% whole bunch fermentation and a gentle extraction deliver a sublime result, with a lovely, rich black cherry and plum fruit aroma marked by floral notes, and an earthy underpinning, coloured with oak spice. On the palate, firm tannins, generous extract and admirable freshness carry the wine to an extraordinary finish.$8,680.00 -
Vinous (91)
Dark red-ruby. Musky, very ripe, soil-driven scents of black raspberry, black cherry and menthol. Silky and fine-grained yet backward today owing to its medicinal reserve. This wine is hiding its sweetness in the early going but it displays lovely phenolic ripeness, not to mention good energy. I'd give it at least three or four years in the cellar.$10,855.00 -
Vinous (91)
Full medium red. Nose dominated by mocha and nutty oak, with some red fruits in the background. Broad and plush, with its fleshy flavors of redcurrant, tobacco and spices complicated by subtle earth tones. This silky, large-scaled Nuits-Saint-Georges finishes with building sweetness, a broad dusting of tannins and a suggestion of strawberry-confit ripeness. This wine came across as darker in fruit character as well as somewhat reduced when I tasted it in late 2016, but today it's quite full-blown and in need of some time in bottle to lose some of its baby fat and gain in mid-palate clarity.$15,460.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17.5+)
Initially a slight oaky/stemmy note. Much more chewy tannins even though they are very fine. Dense, compact but still very light on its feet. Nevertheless, it’s perfumed, finely textured but more ‘masculine’. Dry and chewy finish. So much freshness.$11,135.00 -
(3x75cl) 2010Wine Advocate (92-94)
The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Aux Cras is showing beautifully, with a vibrancy and focus that is immensely appealing. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers, mint and minerals inform the striking finish. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.$5,560.00 -
(1x75cl) 2018Vinous (94)
The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Cras 1er Cru has quite a heavily reduced nose with a touch of Wellington boot. Don't worry about that - it just needs time. The palate is medium-bodied with blackberry, raspberry and tobacco scents. I think it should pull through with time. Gritty tannins, a fine bead of acidity, quite linear and poised with fine weight on the finish. One of the standouts of the appellation in 2018. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.$1,735.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
(from low-yielding old vines) Good deep red. Captivating nose offers cassis, minerals, leather and smoke; at once sappy and liqueur-like. Concentrated, dense and supple, with very expressive flavors of blackberry, flowers, minerals and bitter chocolate, along with a whiff of fresh blood. Shows the solidity of Nuits but the aromatic character of Vosne. Finishes with firm tannins and very good energy. The crop level here was just 27 hectoliters per hectare, said Liger-Belair, who added that most of his 2006s were between 31 and 38.$24,105.00 -
(6x75cl) 2013Vinous (89-92)
The 2013 Nuits Saint Georges Les Lavières is pretty and lifted in the glass, even though it was vinified with fully destemmed fruit. Crushed flowers, mint, rose petals, savory herbs and mint are nicely layered throughout. A weightless, airy finish adds to the wine's considerable appeal.$9,660.00 -
(6x75cl) 2014Burghound (90)
Outstanding. Here the nose is attractively bright with its fresh array of earthy and spicy red and dark currant scents that exhibit a trace of animale character. There is both good volume and punch to the medium-bodied flavors that possess more complexity if a bit less refinement on the well-balanced and persistent finish. This is an excellent Nuits villages and merits consideration.$8,584.00 -
Burghound (90)
Outstanding. Here there is no reductive funk as the agreeably fresh nose offers up ripe notes of earthy and spicy purple fruit. There is both fine punch and volume to the utterly delicious and lightly mineral-inflected flavors that display traces of warmth and rusticity on the otherwise solidly persistent and complex finish. In 2016 this was more Vosne in style but in 2015 it's clearly a Nuits villages but one with a certain refinement. Excellent and recommended.$11,140.00
