Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Expanding with New Vineyards

Exciting news from Vosne-Romanée: Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair will expand, with 2.65 hectares of new plots in prominent vineyards.

Louis-Michel Liger-Belair will get his first plots in Grands Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts, La Croix Rameau and Aux Reas. Furthermore, the estate is adding to its existing plots in Clos de Vougeot, Echezeaux, and Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots.

New plots = tremendous possibilities

Trading and renting vineyards in Burgundy is very complex, as it involves a great deal of personal involvement as well as legal and financial details. From time to time however, domaines do split, and vignerons say goodbye to their precious land, giving others the opportunity to create expressions of the vineyards. This is how Burgundy develops and improves.

That’s the story in this case from Vosne-Romanée, where the Lamarche estate’s two main owners have chosen to go separate ways.

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, therefore, gets the opportunity to take over some exciting new vineyards, as Nathalie Pacareau (Lamarche) has decided to join her vines to Louis-Michel.

The vineyards are prominent even for Vosne. The Grands Echezeaux parcel is 0.30 ha, and is located in the middle of the vineyard just above the Clos de Vougeot. The Vosne-Romanée Malconsorts consists of two plots in the southern end totaling just short of 0.50 ha. The Vosne-Romanée La Croix Rameau is in the southern, upper part of the vineyard, encompassing 0.21 ha located just below Romanée Saint-Vivant. Finally, the Aux Reas is in the southern part of the village.

As well, Liger-Belair will get extra plots in Echezeaux, Clos de Vougeot, and Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots to complement the range of vineyards.

Two of the vineyards are completely new to the estate – Grands Echezeaux and La Croix Rameau. Malconsorts was part of the domaine’s patrimony before it was auctioned off in 1933 (although not these parcels but others from this Climat), so this is a welcome return of the Climat to the Liger-Belair portfolio.

The biodynamic conversion of the vineyards has already begun, and Louis-Michel Liger-Belair will then evaluate how the new plots fit into his existing portfolio of wines and cuvees. Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair will take over the vineyards beginning with the 2022 harvest on a long-term contract.