Thibault Liger-Belair : Bourgogne "Les Grands Chaillots" 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Bourgogne "Les Grands Chaillots" 2022 by Thibault Liger-Belair

Tasting

Colour
This red wine reveals a beautiful ruby hue, ranging from pale to medium.

Nose
Elegant and fragrant, the bouquet reveals rich aromas of red fruits, such as raspberry and cherry, intertwined with notes of undergrowth and morels. Subtle touches of spice, aniseed, white pepper, and vanilla complete this fine aromatic complexity.

Palate
Medium-bodied, the palate offers a silky texture carried by remarkably fine tannins. A lovely freshness accompanies flavours of luscious red fruits and mineral notes, extending into a long, lingering finish, subtly enhanced by a touch of black pepper.

Food and Wine Pairing
This cuvée will pair wonderfully with roasted poultry, duck breast, or white meats served with a mushroom sauce. It will also enhance roasted root vegetables or a platter of pressed cheeses such as Comté or Gruyère.

Service and Storage
For optimal enjoyment, this wine is best served at a temperature of 16 to 17°C, after allowing it to breathe in the glass for five to ten minutes. Approachable in its youth, it also has the structure to age favourably in the cellar until around 2029.

The Elegance and Complexity of an Authentic Burgundy Wine

The Estate
Officially founded in 2001, Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair carries on a family winemaking heritage in Burgundy dating back to the eighteenth century. Located at the heart of the region, the estate is now run by Thibault Liger-Belair, who took over the family vines at the age of twenty-six. A committed advocate of environmentally friendly viticulture, the estate favours biodynamic methods, horse ploughing, and minimal intervention in the cellar. This rigorous philosophy gives rise to authentic wines that reflect the purity and uniqueness of their terroirs of origin.

The Vineyard
This wine comes from a meticulous blend of plots located in the Côte de Nuits, spread between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Chambolle-Musigny, with a complement from the Hautes Côtes de Nuits. The vines, aged between roughly forty and nearly seventy years, thrive on south-east-facing slopes. The soils are mainly clay-limestone, enriched with limestone and iron oxide-rich concretions, locally known as "chailles". The vineyard is cultivated with very limited yields to promote grape concentration.

The Vintage
The year 2022 was marked by particularly hot, dry, and sunny weather conditions. After a mild winter that led to an early budbreak at the end of March, a few frost episodes occurred in early April, with limited impact. The mild spring encouraged rapid flowering in mid-May. The summer, marked by intense heat and water stress, was ultimately balanced by welcome rainfall in August. This rain allowed the berries to reach optimal ripeness ahead of a harvest that began in the first days of September.

Winemaking and Aging
The grapes destined for the "Les Grands Chaillots" 2022 cuvée are hand-harvested and rigorously sorted both in the vineyard and at the winery. Vinification includes 20% whole clusters and is characterised by a long three-week maceration with a very gentle extraction, limited to three punch-downs. The wine is then aged for fifteen months in oak barrels, 30% of which are new, having undergone a very light toasting. To preserve its full authenticity, the wine is bottled without fining, filtration, or any prior racking.

Grape Variety
This wine is made exclusively from Pinot Noir.