Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Aux Brûlées is the smallest cuvée at Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, a single barrel a year that the domaine bottles only in large formats. This is a 2016 magnum in its original wooden case.
About This Wine
The domaine's parcel covers just 0.1157 hectares of Pinot Noir, around 60 years old in 2017, and yields roughly one barrel, some 90 magnums and 16 jeroboams. The domaine keeps most magnums at the château and sends the larger bottles to charity sales. Aux Brûlées sits on the north side of Richebourg on shallow, stony soils; the name points to fire or fierce sun. The 2016 crop was cut hard by April frost before a fine late summer.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Black cherry, kirsch and crushed violet, with smoke, stone and a warm spice note.
- Palate: Dense for a premier cru, with dark fruit, ripe tannin, a hint of liquorice and gravelly minerality.
- Finish: Long and savoury, the magnum format adding freshness and staying power.
Serving & Food
Give it time: from about 2028 onwards is ideal. Decant for up to two hours; a cellar-cool 16 to 17°C and large bowls work best. Roast leg of lamb with rosemary, venison medallions and aged Mimolette all have the weight to match.
How to Enjoy
A rarity for the committed Liger-Belair drinker, or a large-format bottle to anchor a celebration dinner.
Product Details
Producer: Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair
Appellation: Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Côte de Nuits
Cuvée / Lieu-dit: Aux Brûlées
Vintage: 2016
Grape: Pinot Noir
Parcel Size: 0.1157 ha
Format: 1.5L Magnum
Presentation: OWC (Original Wooden Case)
Country: France
About the Domaine
Aux Brûlées came to the domaine in 2006 as part of a 5.5-hectare rental from the Lamadon family of Vosne-Romanée, once sharecroppers for the Liger-Belairs. The same agreement brought in a large parcel of Echézeaux, the premier crus Les Suchots and Les Petits Monts, and Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Cras. Brûlées had also appeared among the family's holdings before the 1933 auction, so the lease returned a name the Liger-Belairs had known for generations. Louis-Michel, the seventh generation to own the estate since 1815, now works all of these vines biodynamically.