2020 Richebourg Grand Cru

A more hirsute winemaker greeted me at his winery on the outskirts of Nuits Saint-Georges, Thibault Liger-Belair having acquired a lockdown beard and longer locks. He told me: “I started picking August 29 after a little rain on the 28th. The grapes changed after that rain, gaining coherence and firmness. [A view shared by Nicolas Groffier in Morey-Saint-Denis.] They also developed more sapid flavors. It was an easy season. There was just a little hydric stress on limestone soils, which is why we had concentration via evaporation.” This eclectic range of wines encompasses Beaujolais, Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. The strong cards are the Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges and, predictably, the Richebourg, although the Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas is one not to overlook.