2018 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru

Virgile Lignier escorted me through his 2018s from his barrel cellar located not far from Domaine Arlaud. “We started picking on 5 September with all the Premier and Grand Cru and finished in the generic around six days later," he told me. "It was important to harvest quickly. The vinification was normal. There were just two punch downs at the end, just pump overs during maceration during the two and a half week vinification. I just wanted to keep the freshness and avoid hard tannins. The alcohol levels 13.5% to 14.0%." This is a source of respectfully crafted Morey-Saint-Denis, especially from Aux Chezeaux and Chenevery. Lignier's Grand Crus are also extremely promising and may well end up being better value than those from higher profile domaines.