Cote de Nuits Wines

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The clay soils of this premier cru come into their own in a hot year like 2017, producing a wine that’s fine, plush and aromatic. With 20% stems and 25% new wood adding well-judged layers of complexity, this finishes with freshness and savoury tannins. Drinking Window 2023 - 2027.Decanter | 94 DECThe supplest, most open-knit of Lignier’s premiers crus from Morey, the 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte bursts with aromas of plummy fruit, red currants, subtle spices and rose hip. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, supple and expansive, with a layered mid-palate, fine but chalky tannins and a saline finish. This will win friends in its youth.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-93 RP(Morey St. Denis “la Riotte”- Domaine Hubert Lignier Père et Fils) The 2017 la Riotte from Laurent Lignier is an excellent wine in the making, offering up a very precise bouquet of cherries, dark soil tones, woodsmoke, gamebird, espresso and cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very transparent, with a good core, lovely focus and grip, fine-grained tannins and a long, tangy and complex finish. The personality of la Riotte is always a combination of bright red fruit and dark soil tones and the 2017 from Domaine Lignier is a perfect example of this beautiful mosaic of fruit and soil. This was made with twenty percent whole clusters in this vintage. (Drink between 2022-2060).John Gilman | 92 JGThe 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis La Riotte is aged in one-third new oak and includes 20% whole bunches. It has an expressive bouquet with touches of mint that infuse the vibrant red fruit. The dense, fresh palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip on the entry and hints of sour cherry toward the edgy finish. Good potential here.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM(Domaine Hubert Lignier Père et Fils Morey St. Denis "La Riotte" 1er Cru Red) Soft wood surrounds aromas of red and dark currant, newly turned earth and plenty of attractive floral elements. The nicely rich and generously proportioned medium weight flavors possess a sleek texture along with good precision that contrasts somewhat with the firm, dusty and slightly short and ever-so-mildly dry finale. Note that my projected range implicitly assumes that the dryness will dissipate eventually. (Drink starting 2025).Burghound | 88-90 BH

Ripe, dark cherry can just about be made out on the nose of this wine, but it seems distant. On the palate, the full, sumptuous purity and freshness of the fruit come to the fore. Nothing is overdrawn, all is harmonious. Silky tannins accentuate the sinuous depth of the fruit while subtle freshness highlights the pristine, elegant fruit. Lovely now, the wine is certain to evolve. Drink 2025–2035. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEBright cherry fruit is at the core of this elegant red, matched to a juicy texture and firm yet well-integrated structure. Sandalwood, vanilla and chalk dust accents add interest and the finish takes on a chunky feel. Best from 2022 through 2032. 700 cases made, 102 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSHere the slightly more expressive nose of red currant, plum and earth is more floral-suffused. There is a slightly more sophisticated mouthfeel to the middle weight flavors thanks to the relatively fine-grained tannins shaping the markedly saline and refreshing finish that also flashes a bit of youthful austerity. This mildly warm and slightly firmer effort needs to develop more complexity but it’s already quite attractive.Burghound | 91 BH

There are 18 barrels of the 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis Trilogie, and it’s the usual blend of 60% Chenevery, 30% Porroux and 15% Clos Solon. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, cassis, smoked meats, candied peel and cinnamon, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core, powdery tannins and a long, sapid finish. Yields were low—around 30 hectoliters per hectare—explained by the old vines, some of which are trained in cordon.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP(Domaine Hubert Lignier Père et Fils Morey St. Denis - Trilogie Villages Red) There is a top note of menthol to the moderately sauvage-inflected dark currant, plum and black raspberry aromas. The sleek, focused and vibrant medium-bodied flavors possess a similar saline nuance on the bright and lingering finish that possesses a hint of acid tang. (Drink starting 2028)Burghound | 88-91 BH(Morey St. Denis “Trilogie”- Domaine Hubert Lignier Père et Fils) The 2018 Trilogie villages is the more refined example of the two AC botltings from Morey St. Denis this year. The bouquet is nicely black fruity, wafting from the glass in a mix of black cherries, plums, woodsmoke, just a touch of beetroot, a fine base of soil and pigeon. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and ripely tannic, with a good core of fruit, fine focus and grip and a long, nascently complex and very well-balanced finish. This is a lovely AC. (Drink between 2026-2055)John Gilman | 91 JGThe 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis "Trilogie" comes from three lieux-dits, 60% from Chenevery (also from Purroux and Clos Solon). It has a quite a high-toned bouquet of black cherries and cassis fruit that just needs a little more delineation. The palate is better, offering sappy red fruit, fine acidity and orange peel and touches of marmalade on the finish. Fine, but I would drink this over the next decade, no longer.Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

The gentle extraction and use of whole clusters has produced a wine with deep plummy fruit, while one-third new casks give a sweet spice quality to the aroma. Dense and well balanced, this should be approachable young and will continue to drink well for a decade. From the band of premiers crus which run through the village, just below Clos de Tart.Decanter | 91 DECThe 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis Les Sorbets 1er Cru offers strawberry pastilles and raspberry on a nose that needs a little more complexity and terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, and lightly spiced with a robust, burly finish. Not bad, but it does miss some elegance. Vinous Media | 88-90 VM

Very forward plum and fig fruit, with a note of dark chocolate. The texture is ripe and velvety, but there is plenty of depth here. Very pleasant. Bichot purchases the fruit from this parcel of 1.28ha in Les Sorbets. In 2020 it was picked on the 28th of August and fermented with one-third whole clusters.Decanter | 92 DECDeep but not exaggerated purple. Ripe plums on the nose, this has not gone over the limit. A couple of chocolate notes mixed in with the dark red fruit, good acidity of course, considerable length. Attractive wine of middling density and good balance.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JMAn interesting nose of very ripe pepper, ripe plum, dark raspberry and warm earth precedes relatively refined and lilting flavors that contrast significantly with the mildly rustic finish that really firms up as it sits on the palate. Note that this moderately austere effort has the stuffing to reward a decade or so of cellaring.Burghound | 91 BH

The 2020 Morey-Saint-Denis Village, which contains around 15% whole bunch, had only finished its malo a month prior to my visit. It has a dense, intense, blackcurrant and cassis-scented bouquet that will need time to mellow. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and fleshy but the black cherry fruit is framed by fine tannins and the finish is so silky smooth that you cannot help falling for its charms. (Drink between 2025-2040)Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThere is a top note of kirsch to the earthier and spicier aromas of red and dark berry liqueur. The delicious, round and caressing flavors possess very good punch while exuding a refreshing salinity on the dusty and palate coating finale. (Drink starting 2027)Burghound | 88-91 BH