Domaine Lignier: Clos de la Roche 1978-2014
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
Domaine Lignier’s Clos de la Roche is one of Burgundy’s most renowned wines. This remarkable vertical of twenty vintages went back to 1978 and encompassed three distinct eras of the domaine’s distinguished history.
Historical Background
Domaine Lignier was founded in the late 1880s, but its modern-day history begins with Henri Lignier, who first planted some of the parcels that remain core holdings today. Hubert Lignier ran the family domaine for several decades. An immensely proud, stoic man, Lignier embodies all the qualities of Burgundy’s old guard, a generation of vignerons who worked the land when times were tough and long before Burgundy wines became glamorous and highly coveted. The wrinkles and hands are those of a farmer.
Lignier’s son, Romain, took over winemaking in 1992. One of the emerging talents of his generation, Romain Lignier, passed away suddenly in 2004 at just 36 years of age, pushing the domaine into a period of tumult. Laurent Lignier, Hubert’s son and Romain’s brother, returned to the domaine after his brother’s death. Laurent had worked at the domaine in 1987 and 1988 before leaving to fulfill his military service and then pursuing commercial roles at Albert Bichot and Pernod Ricard. Hubert Lignier made the 2004s and 2005s, and Laurent, assumed full-time winemaking responsibilities with the 2006 vintage.
Clos de la Roche
