The 2016 harvest has been and gone at Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, a great and historic Vosne-Romanée.
Rejuvenated at the beginning of 2000 by the young Vicomte Liger-Belair, Louis-Michel. Grapes are brought to the winery in small cases that hold just 14 kilos of grapes in order to avoid crushing the bunches. Sorting is carried out by a team of eight on a sorting table, the grapes are entirely de-stemmed and arrive in the vats by means of a conveyor belt without being pumped or crushed.
They captured the glorious weather for their 2016 harvest in this video: Domaine Du Comte Liger Belair Harvest 2016
La Romanée, is the jewel in the Liger Belair crown. The smallest appellation in France and a family "monopole" siutuated just above Romanée Conti. Louis-Michel's aim is to make pure, intense terroir-driven wines by respecting his vineyards and their enviroment. Pesticides are not used and other chemical treatments are carried out only when necessary, rather than systematically. Successful experiments have started with horse ploughing some vineyards and their soils have already started to reap the benefits. The wines undergo a relatively short maceration in favour of the common trend of over-extraction, which can often result in rather brutal, a typical wines. This, together with a careful selection of new barrels that don’t stamp their mark on the wine too much, enhances the purity and finesse of his Vosne-Romanées. These are intense, chic and gently-extracted wines that betray a haunting elegance. One of Burgundy's great new stars. Louis Michel Liger-Belair continues to expand the Domaine through purchases of the top vineyards of the Côtes de Nuits, the latest being the Fabulous Clos des Grandes Vignes Premier Cru of Nuits St Georges. Justerini & Brooks are extremely proud to represent Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair in the UK