2015 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

The 2015 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru comes from 0.30-hectare in the Montluisants area supplemented by some purchased fruit from 72-year-old vines in the lieu-dit Les Chenevrières. It has a very pure and powerful bouquet with layers of small dark cherries, blueberry and violet aromas, a little richness of the growing season showing through via a touch of glycerin. The palate is medium-bodied with a bit if sinew on the entry. This dovetails into a structured mid-palate with a pinch of white pepper lingering on the finish that has a real peacock's tail of flavors, reinforcing its grand crus pedigree (just in case.) This is a sublime expression of the vineyard from Virgile Lignier.

(from fruit harvested on September 14; vinifed with 70% vendange entier as Lignier felt that the wine was "too minerally to use more stems"): Bright red-ruby. Very ripe, pungently mineral scents of blackberry, violet and chocolate. Huge, thick and sweet but its rich dark berry, chocolate and violet flavors are energized by minerality. This plush, sweet wine struck me as a rather New World style of Pinot Noir. It will give early pleasure but will need to burn off some of its baby fat if it's ever to demonstrate finesse. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins. Puts a fitting exclamation mark to this often chocolatey, late-picked set of '15s.