Drawing the Lignier line

It’s one the warmest nights of the year here, so far, and I am headed to a Burgundy dinner where everything being poured, including the chilled white, is from Domaine Hubert Lignier.

2020 Bourgogne Aligote ‘Poirelots’
Herbal green and citrus. More of a stoney Gruner than a precise Aligote, but I like it all the same.

2020 Passe-Tout-Grains ‘Poirelots’
Strawberries and cherries. Superb for a 60% Gamay dominant rouge.

2020 Bourgogne Pinot Noir ‘Symbiose’
Cranberries and hard work. More artisanal than class.

2018 Pommard ‘Brescul’
A medium bodied Pommard, dark berry-fruit and precise. A topnotch Pommard, 0.40hcta.

2018 Morey-St-Denis ‘Trilogie’
Raspberry nose, fig & cherries. A dense Morey and very much just how I like it. All from 1 hectare under vine.

2018 Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Regnard’
Redcurrant and blue flowers abound. Long, and opened up more after a bit of time in the glass.

All in all, a very good ‘simple’ cross selection of wines from their large H.Lignier portfolio.

I was a little early to the evening as we had no aircon at home, the usual Buenos Aires power cuts. On arrival, I was kindly offered a large glass of 2019 Chablis Village by Vincent Dauvissat. What a wonderful welcome that was. Nutty, smokey. Lasar beam acidity and one of the most delicious village Chablis I have drunk recently. Well, since La Chablissienne versus Willy Fevre tasting back in pre-C19 days.

A small note here, to keep you up to speed on the local big stuff, Cobos Malbec. You may or may not have heard that in Europe this wine is now sold through La Place in Bordeaux. The quasi stock-market distribution outlet based in France’s wine capital. The first Cobos vintage to be offered on la Place this year, is the 2018.

Cobos Malbec 2018
(Mendoza, Argentina; 100% Malbec; from a vineyard of 11 hectares; 15% alcohol).
From the talented Paul Hobbs and his oenologue, Andres ‘Mono’ Vignoni. 
Opaque in the glass, but with lovely blue-purple highlights under the light.

Big and rich but svelte and gently textured. Wild and floral too. There’s a hint of cordite, liquorice root, crushed green Szechuan peppercorn, dark cherry and bramble jam and pure fresh briary fruit notes too. Very pure and ultra-soft, engagingly so. The wine is layered, svelte, stylish and very impressive (if perhaps not quite at the level of the 2019, released last year). Glossy and seemingly weightless despite the mid-palate heft and density here. Fresh and intensely sapid, with a lovely pick up bringing a wave of juiciness to build the finish. Clean and refreshing, with a juicy freshness resembling breakers on the shore.  Excellent, once again. 96/100pts – We have some stock! 6 bottles @ GBP395 per bottle ex LCB VT.

Flattering the de Fargues..and what can be more delicious than small chilled glasses of top Sauternes to finish of a long hot busy day. We did just that, last night, with two vintages here:

Chateau de Fargues, Sauternes
1996 was orange peely with creme brulee. Long and raisiny.
2002 had a flowery, apricotic nose to it. Unctuously unctuous, with hints of marzipan and pineapple on the finish.

If you are reading this and are planning on going to Dusseldorf, March 21st this year (Prowein), please message me here for a meet-up, time/booth:  william@worldwineconsultants.com