Bottled for export for the first time in the 2023 vintage, this zippy and mouthwatering Coteaux Bourguignons comprises Chardonnay from two parcels (one in La Musette, one in Les Pertuisées) just across the main road from Morey-Saint-Denis. Raised entirely in stainless steel and bottled after six months on its fine lees, it offers taut, linear fruit, bright, almost minty acidity, and a subtle mineral streak.
Domaine Georges Lignier possesses among the more astonishing collections of vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, but it wasn’t until young Benoit Stehly—Georges’ nephew—took the reins in 2010 that the wines began to fully articulate the greatness of their terroirs.
Benoit began the process of eliminating reliance on systemic chemical treatments in the vineyards, bringing life into the soil by working it, and being more conscientious about harvesting.
In the cellar, Benoit prefers long, gentle extractions with pump-overs favored over punch-downs, thereby retaining the nimble, high-toned purity Pinot Noir can achieve in Burgundy’s hallowed soils.
He utilizes various proportions of whole clusters depending on vintage conditions, and his oak regimen is particularly conservative, with no new wood employed on the village-level wines.
The results are adamantly ethereal and delicate, flying in the face of the ultra-rich, hyper-concentrated red Burgundies one sometimes encounters in this post-climate-change era.
