In Morey-Saint-Denis, a famous wine region with many prestigious domaines such as Dujac and Ponsot, Lignier Michelot has been rapidly emerging in recent years. They were introduced in the 2007 edition of the leading French wine evaluation magazine, "Old Classement," as a "Nouveau domaine et Domaine a suivre (a producer that is featured for the first time and is noteworthy)," one of only five producers in the whole of Burgundy, and are attracting attention as producers who will lead Morey-Saint-Denis in the future.
Lignier-Michelot, based in Morey-Saint-Denis, is a small family-run domaine. The current owner is Virgil Lignier, the third generation of the family. His grandfather started growing grapes from the 1960s to the 1980s, and in the 1980s, he began producing wines that are bottled at the domaine while still growing grapes.
In 1988, he learned about grape growing from his father, the second generation, and took over the Domaine in 2000. The Domaine owns vineyards covering 12.5 hectares in 15 appellations. The Domaine owns vineyards mainly in the best plots of Morey-Saint-Denis, including the Grand Crus of Clos de la Roche and Clos Saint-Denis, as well as vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny.
Originally, Virgil had close ties with Robert Groffier and David Duvin, and was inspired by them while exchanging ideas on how to improve the quality of the wines. In particular, Alex Seysses, the winemaker at Domaine Dujac, is known to be one of the people who recognizes his talent.
What first attracted attention to Lignier Michelot was its introduction in the 2007 edition of Vieux Classement, France's most prestigious wine rating magazine, known for its dry reviews, in which it was featured as a "Nouveau domaine et Domaine a suivre (a producer featured for the first time and worthy of note)," one of only five such producers in the whole of Burgundy.
Furthermore, in the 2009 edition of the same magazine, the Domaine was awarded a one-star rating, on par with Dujac and Frédéric Magnen, etc. Also, in the 2011 edition of the famous French wine magazine "Hachette Wine Guide", the Domaine was promoted to three stars, and is attracting attention as a Domaine that will lead Morey Saint Denis in the future.
An elegant Burgundy wine that brings out the inherent charm of Pinot Noir
In winemaking, Lignier Michelot places great emphasis on meticulous vineyard work to harvest grapes that are fully ripe down to the stem. The winery uses the lutte raisonnée method for grape cultivation, and partially incorporates organic farming methods. Of particular note is the thorough selection method. After the grapes are hand-picked, they are selected in two stages. In the first stage, low-quality grapes are removed, and in the second stage, bunches that are fully ripe down to the stem are rigorously selected for whole-cluster fermentation.
There is a reason for such careful selection: like Dujac and DRC, whole-cluster fermentation has been actively implemented since 2006, so grapes of higher quality and firmness are required. About 50% of the harvested grapes are fermented with whole clusters, and 100% are fermented with whole clusters in the Grand Cru. For vinification, the fermentation temperature and taste are checked appropriately to avoid over-extraction, and minimal pigeage (paddle-in) is carried out.
The wines of Ligny-Michelot are carefully crafted in this way, and are full of elegance, bringing out the beauty of the pure fruitiness of Pinot Noir. Virgil believes that the essence of Pinot Noir lies in its beauty and finesse, and he is constantly searching for ways to bring out its charm to the fullest.
Originally, Lignier Michelot's wines were produced under his father's generation with strong extraction and strong tannins, and were long-term aged wines, but under Virgil's generation, the style changed drastically. Based on the policy of "maximizing the natural power of the grapes rather than focusing on brewing techniques," they now produce a style of wine that can be enjoyed from an early stage.
