Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots Hubert Lignier (Domaine) 2012

Lot presentation

Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots Hubert Lignier (Domaine) 2012

The wine

This Morey-Saint-Denis comes from the premier cru Les Chaffots. Hubert Lignier’s vines were planted in 1968 and cover an area of 4,500 square metres. These are situated on a 330-metre high slope exposed to the east ad south-east, just above the grand cru Saint Denis. This means the vineyard gets a good mix of sunshine and refreshing breeze. Organic farming is practiced here with manual harvests and a rigorous sorting process, making for limited yields.
There is little intervention as the grapes are vinified. A third of the grapes are fermented in whole bunches, a process instigated by wild yeasts. There is a very long maturation on lees (21-22 months) to refine the tannins.
In the glass, this cuvée is intensely red in colour. It is delicate on the palate with a certain tautness and purity in its fruit. This is a wine that can be aged extensively, so you can wait 5-10 years to enjoy it. Serve it at 16°C with a dish like beef bourguignon.

The excellent reputation of Domaine Hubert Lignier goes back a long way, due to the finesse and concentration of their wines. In 1991 Hubert's son Romain joined the estate. He sadly died in 2004, and two years later Romain's brother, Laurent, joined his father. Situated near Morey, Gevrey, and Chambolle, this 11-hectare vineyard has been certified organic since the 2019 vintage. Approximately 2.5 hectares across six plots, including renowned appellations such as Chambolle-Musigny Les Bussières and Gevrey-Chambertin Seuvrées, are farmed biodynamically.
All the work is carried out with quality in mind (manual harvests, low yields, strict sorting); according to Laurent, “75% of a wine's quality comes from the quality of the vineyard”. The estate is home to mature vines averaging around 50 years old. Pinot Noir dominates the plantings (97%), supplemented by small amounts of Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc (3%) and a little Aligoté for white wines.
The winemaking philosophy favours low intervention with minimal additives. About one third of the fruit is vinified as whole bunches, lending a striking natural freshness to the wine. Wild yeast naturally present on the grape skins start fermentation and the resulting wine undergoes long maturations of 21-22 months on lees. The wines are not fined or filtered. What we find in the glass is a suppleness with tannins of a velvety character. Wine to age for many long years in the cellar.