Hubert Lignier Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2015
-
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Frequently there is a mere barrel of wine produced per year from the tiny parcel of Charmes Chambertin owned by the Ligniers on the Mazoyeres-Haut climat. The surface is less than a tenth of a hectare. The vines were planted in 1948.. The Charmes Chambertin from Lignier is the feminine companion to the magnificent Clos de la Roche.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, which comes from the Mazoyères sector, has a gorgeous bouquet in the making with joyful red berry fruit mixed with cold stone and subtle oyster shell aromas, the 30% new oak deftly integrated and barely noticeable. The palate is medium-bodied with a fleshy, vibrant opening. There are layers of tart red cherry fruit, crushed strawberry, citrus peel and quince fanning out wonderful towards the finish, which exerts a gentle but insistent grip. What a fabulous Charmes-Chambertin from Laurent and Hubert Lignier. Rating 94-96.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
This small village is home to the Grands Crus in the farthest northerly stretches of Côte de Nuits and is famous for some of the deepest and firmest Burgundian Pinot Noir.
Gevrey boasts nine Grands Crus, the best of which are arguably Le Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. As with all of the fragmented vineyards of Burgundy, it isn’t easy to differentiate between the two, which are situated adjacent with Clos de Bèze slightly further up the hill than Le Chambertin. Clos de Bèze has a shallower soil and if you’re really counting, may produce wines less intense but more likely to charm. Some compare Le Chambertin in both power and plentitude only to the prized Romanée-Conti Grand Cru farther south in Vosne-Romanée.
Two other Grands Crus vineyards, Mazis-Chambertin (also written Mazy-) and Latricières-Chambertin command almost as much regard as Le Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. The upper part of Mazy, called Les Mazis Haut is the best and Latricières-Chambertin offers an abundance of juicy fruit and a silky texture in the warmer vintages.
Other Grands Crus are Ruchottes-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin and Chapelle-Chambertin.
The most respected Pinot Noir wines from Gevrey-Chambertin are robust and powerful but at the same time, velvety and expressive: black fruit, black liquorice and chocolate come into play. After some time in the bottle, the wines are harmonious with bright and sometimes candied fruit, and aromas of musk, truffle and forest floor. These have staying power.