2017 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

A new address for Thibault Liger-Belair this year... Enfin! Over the past two years he has overseen construction of a new facility on the outskirts of Nuits Saint-Georges, not far from the railway line. The old winery overlooking the RN74 where it winds through the village was always rather cramped, to the extent that the barrel cellar was separate from the vat room and bottling room. Now everything is under one roof and Thibault he has plenty of space in which to work. The modern design might lack the aesthetic allure of Burgundy’s ancient wineries; however, it is extremely eco-friendly, with several innovations. A huge sundial erected in the car park provides solar electricity, enough to run the air-conditioning all year round. The walls are naturally insulated and there is even a log burner so that they do not need to heat the interior using electricity. The lights are specially designed to mimic natural luminosity and even the air is naturally pure. It is certainly impressive. With respect to the wines, they form a solid and fine portfolio that has expanded in recent years, the latest addition a new monopole in Savigny-lès-Beaune courtesy of purchased fruit. As usual, Thibault employs between 40% to 100% whole bunches using a millefeuille of layered stems and berries. In addition, as detailed in Stephen Tanzer’s report on the 2016s, he now uses his own natural SO2 from a Polish mine. He observes a large difference in the wines, since it combines earlier and more easily, masking the wines less than manufactured SO2.

The two standouts in 2017 are the Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint Georges and a superb Corton-Renardes. I prefer these to the Richebourg, which was just missing that je ne sais quoi, at least at that moment. Some cuvées exhibited reduction; nothing unusual there, though it indicates that the Premier and Grand Crus will benefit from three or four years in bottle, possibly less now that Thibault is using his natural SO2. The new winery marks a new chapter in the domaine and puts Thibault on a solid footing for the coming years.