SMALL AMOUNTS REMAIN: CASE BUY ALERT – Burgundy Royalty’s Daily Drinker
Posted on: 07/30/19 2:21 PM
The Liger-Belair name commands a certain amount of reverence in Burgundy. The history of this family is deeply woven into the fabric of not just Burgundy, but also of French history. Even a cursory overview of the family’s holdings inspires a sense of awe: Richebourg, La Romanée, Echezeaux, 1er Aux Reignots, 1er Petits Monts, 1er Les St. Georges … I could go on. And this is nothing compared to what the family owned before the Revolution.
However, Thibault Liger-Belair wears his royalty well. Humble, passionate and down to earth, I have never seen him in red pants, though I am sure he has indeed worn them. Often his hands are dirty from working in the vines, and he seems happiest doing the work which needs to be done, no matter how dirty.
It shows in the wines. Elegant, intense, and powerful, the wines have a brilliant energy and focus, and a real sense that there is an extra dimension few Domaines can pull off. Of course, the Richebourg and Les St. Georges represent the lofty peaks that only great Burgundy can achieve, Thibault has spent years building a range of wines that represent the entire region, including a remarkable Domaine in Beaujolais and array of wines hailing from the Hautes-Côtes.
The point is that Thibault spends as much of his efforts in Burgundy’s humble valleys as he does picking flowers atop its Parnassian slopes. And you will be well rewarded to secure a box or two of his stunning Bourgogne Les Grands Chaillots.
Sourced from two vineyards, both incredibly well sited and planted over to old vines (35+ years old): Les Grands Chaillots lies in front of Les St. Georges and is on the “good side” of the RN 74 while Les Bons Batons is a famous Bourgogne vineyard in front Chambolle.
“I found the quality of the 2016s here to be very good to excellent but particularly so in the range of Bourgogne.” Allen Meadows
There are few Bourgognes that offer this much stuffing and complexity, especially for the price these days. Don’t miss out!
2016 Thibault Liger-Belair Bourgogne Les Grands Chaillots
♥ “Outstanding”: An exuberantly fresh array of plum, earth and pretty dark currant aromas leads to rich and surprisingly bold flavors that possess very good mid-palate density, all wrapped in a lightly stony and saline finish that is presently youthfully austere. Good stuff here and ageworthy too. Burghound
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