Visit at Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair – March 2013

This year I had the opportunity to taste some 2011s and 2012 from Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair at a tasting the day after the Trilogie en Cote de Nuits.

The tasting program comprised of some of the 2011s not presented at the Trilogie, and some of the 2012 wines – including the white from the new vineyard Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grandes Vignes. This article focus on the tasting of the 2012s – the 2011s will be covered in a separate article.

Tasting of 2012 – Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

The tasting included the new white and a five reds 2012s. All the reds tasted had completed the malolactic fermentation.

The overall impressions of the 2012s reds from Liger-Belair are very positive. The wines are quite rich and fullbodied with a lovely vibrant layers of intense fruit – a nuanced and complex expression of pinot. The 2012s are quite transparent and nervy despite the quite intense fruit – the acidity is quite crisp and offer excellent support for the rich fruit.

It’s still early … but I’m very optimistic about these wines. They are currently very tastable and extrovert – but they are in a very early stage of the development. Can they rival the great 2010s from this estate – perhaps not quite – but the 2012s could well be better than the excellent 2009s from Liger-Belair – I’m looking forward to follow these wines.

The 2012 wines tasted on March 19th 2013:

• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grandes Vignes
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Nuits-Saint-Georges Lavieres 2012
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee 2012
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee Colombiere 2012
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee Clos du Chateau 2012
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee Les Chaumes 2012

Tasting notes 2012 Liger-Belair

The tasting notes are all from the tasting on March 19th 2013.

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Grandes Vignes

First white from Louis-Michel – from the newly acquired vineyard Clos des Grandes Vignes in the southern Nuits-Saint-Georges. The wines were re-grafted with Chardonney in 2010 – so this is a fairly new vineyard for the whites. The bouquet is quite expressive with notes of pear, melon and citrus – the oak is present but delicate and the minerality is showing quite finely grained. On the palate crisp and pure fruit, a good framework of minerality and acidity. The minerality seems quite smooth and refined for a Cote de Nuits white. It’s very pure and offer good fresness for the vintage – will be interesting to follow this wine. Really fine potential – but too early to rate this wine at this stage.

No Rating at this stage – Tasted 19/03/2013 from CASK

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Nuits-Saint-Georges Lavieres 2012

The NSG Lavieres is quite expressive but showing a slight reduction. In the nose lovely red berry fruit spiced with a nice minerality and oak – hints of coffee. On the palate it offers quite weighty fruit – good concentration for this level – very juicy and with a good focusing minerality. A very good village in the making.
(Drink from 2022) – Very Good (87 – 89p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 – from CASK

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee 2012

The Vosne Romanee Village offer a lovely spicy nose – red berry fruit, violets white peppar and cinnamon – slight reduction. The palate offer lovely juicy fruit – good complexity in the fruit – lovely midpalate concentration for this level. The finish is quite focused with a nice balance from the vibrant 2012 acidity. Love the expression of the 2012 fruit – and the generic Vosne village is improving year after year.
(Drink from 2022) – Very Good (87 – 89p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 – from CASK

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee Colombiere 2012

The Colombiere is quite a step up from the very good generic village – as it offers a more focused and refined expression of terroir. The nose is slightly reduced currently, but is still showing a lovely juicy red berry fruit – and it’s popping with Vosne spicyness – violets, peony rose – combined with a crisp minerality. The palate is showing juicy vibrant fruit with the support of the lovely minerality from the Colombiere terroir – it’s quite weighty for this level – but still maintain a lovely mineralic tension and nerve. A beautiful Colombiere in the making.
(Drink from 2024) – Very Good+ (88 – 90p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 – from CASK

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee Clos du Chateau 2012

The Clos du Chateau is another step up – adding even more minerality and Vosne spicyness. The bouquet is somewhat reduced but still offering a juicy fruit, crisp minerality and loads of Vosne spices. On the palate excellent weight for this level – the fruit is deep and complex supported by the stony minerality from this lovely village terroir. It offers a lovely nerve and transparancy – a truly fine village from Liger-Belair.
(Drink from 2025) – Fine (90 – 92p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 – from CASK

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee Les Chaumes 2012

The last wine is Les Chaumes – one of the lesser 1er cru In Vosne Romanee. This wine contain 18% whole cluster grapes. The bouquet offer rich and quite dense red berry fruit – notes of raspberries, forest strawberries and discrete Vosne spices. The minerality is there – but not as forward and crisp as in Clos du Chateau. On the palate quite weigthy fruit – it’s rich and almost creamy – but with a lovely acidity. A lovely rich and pure Chaumes.
(Drink from 2024) – Very Good (89 – 91p) – Tasted 19/03/2013 – from CASK

Latest Tasting Notes for this producer

• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne Clos du Chateau 2009 January 3, 2020
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Clos de Chateau 2009 July 26, 2019
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Clos du Chateau 2016 March 6, 2019
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Echezeaux 2009 March 6, 2019
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Echezeaux 2009 October 17, 2018
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, La Romanee 2006 September 6, 2018
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne-Romanee Aux Reignots 2009 May 1, 2018
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Clos du Chateau 2015 December 15, 2017
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, La Romanee 2010 December 5, 2017
• Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Clos du Chateau 2011 December 2, 2017

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