2017 Domaine Hubert Lignier Gevrey Chambertin, Burgundy

 
The lieu à dit of le Reniard is across the RN74 from aux Etelois (which lies below Griotte and Petite Chapelle on the slope) and has been the home to the Lignier family’s parcels for their Gevrey AC bottling for many years. However, 2017 will be the first vintage where the name of the climat is included on the label. The wine is excellent in this vintage, offering up a bright and complex bouquet of cherries, beetroot, a touch of plums, dark soil tones, mustard seed, cedar and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bdoied, complex and sappy at the core, with fine-grained tannins, lovely focus and grip and a long, balanced and energetic finish. This will need six or seven years to really start to peak, but is going to be an outstanding villages. Drink between 2023-2055

91+ points John Gilman viewfromthecellar.com

Once again there is a certain restraint to the reticent if nicely layered aromas of plum, earth and a hint of the sauvage. There is better density to the vibrant medium-bodied flavors that possess better depth and persistence on the robust, powerful and somewhat coarse finish. This is very Gevrey in basic character as is notably more structured as well.

88-91 points Allen Meadows burghound.com Jan 2020
 

Domaine Hubert Lignier Gevrey Chambertin is a beautifully classical expression of one of Burgundy’s most revered villages, coming from a domaine whose roots in Gevrey stretch back generations. The Lignier family has been farming here since the nineteenth century, but the modern reputation of the estate was shaped by Hubert Lignier, a quiet, deeply thoughtful vigneron who believed firmly in traditional methods, low yields and respect for old vines. Today the domaine is run by his son Laurent Lignier, who continues that philosophy with a light, precise hand, focusing on purity of fruit and faithful expression of terroir rather than power or oak influence.

The vineyards for this Gevrey Chambertin village wine are drawn from several parcels around the appellation, planted on classic limestone and clay soils that give the wine its structure, savoury depth and unmistakable Gevrey authority. Many of the vines are mature, producing naturally low yields and fruit with excellent concentration. Farming is attentive and traditional, with careful work in the vineyard and restrained winemaking in the cellar. Fermentation is gentle, extraction is measured, and oak is used judiciously to frame the wine without obscuring its origins.

In the glass the wine shows a deep ruby colour with youthful vibrancy. Aromas unfold with time, revealing black cherry, red plum, raspberry and subtle floral notes, layered with earthy spice, iron, forest floor and a hint of game that is so characteristic of Gevrey Chambertin. The palate is structured yet refined, delivering dark red fruits, fine grained tannins and a long, savoury finish that speaks clearly of the Côte de Nuits. There is a sense of restraint and balance that makes the wine immensely food friendly, working beautifully with roast duck, lamb, mushroom dishes and grilled meats.

With time in the cellar, Domaine Hubert Lignier Gevrey Chambertin evolves gracefully over ten to fifteen years, developing truffle, leather and dried flower complexity while retaining its core of freshness and structure. It is a wine that captures the soul of Gevrey Chambertin and the quiet confidence of one of the village’s most respected family domaines.