2014 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

(50% vendange entier; from estate parcels planted in 1990 and 1947, plus some purchased fruit from vines planted in 1965): Bright, deep red with ruby highlights; beautiful color. Deep aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, violet, smoked meat, animal fur and earth. Plush, smooth and concentrated; packed with chewy purple fruit and violet flavors. This fleshy, deep grand cru really spreads out to saturate the entire mouth on the back end, with tactile tannins contributing to an impression of vibrancy.

The 2014 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is 50% whole cluster fruit. It has a denser and more opaque bouquet compared to the 2015 Clos Saint Denis -- blueberry and cassis fruit, all with a tight leash on. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannin on the entry; there is blackberry and boysenberry, and plenty of salinity here with a mineral-driven finish that leaves the tongue a tingling long after it has departed. This is very serious and deserves a few years in the cellar.