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ProducerDomaine du Comte Liger-Belair
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Vintage2009
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Grape VarietyPinot Noir
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RegionBurgundy
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Sub RegionFlagey-Echezeaux
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Importer LabelAustralia – Negociants Australia
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SizeBottle
Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair may be seen as a recent domaine as it was established only in the year 2000 by Louis-Michel Liger-Belair. However, in reality, Louis-Michel is just renewing two hundred years of family tradition dedicated to the vines and wines of Burgundy.
The Liger Belair family has a glorious history combining the church, the army and the wine trade. The first General Liger-Belair acquired the Chateau de Vosne-Romanée in 1815, as well as various vineyards, and when his nephew and adopted heir married a Marey heiress, the empire grew rapidly: at one point the Liger-Belairs owned La Tâche, La Romanée, La Grande Rue and significant holdings of Clos de Vougeot and Chambertin, along with an array of Vosne-Romanée premiers crus including vines in Malconsorts, Chaumes, Reignots, Suchots and Brûlées.
Unfortunately, complicated succession issues meant that the whole domaine was sold at auction in August 1933. Canon Just Liger-Belair and Comte Michel Liger-Belair between them managed to save La Romanée and small holdings of Aux Reignots and Les Chaumes. Comte Michel’s son Comte Henri devoted his career to the army, reaching the rank of general like his forebear, so the vines were looked after by sharecroppers and the wines sold through négociants.
Vicomte Louis-Michel Liger-Belair decided to recreate the family wine domaine in 2000, beginning with two plots of Vosne-Romanée and premier cru Les Chaumes. Two years later he took back control of Aux Reignots and La Romanée, although a commercial contract with Bouchard Père & Fils to distribute a proportion of the latter continued until 2006. In that year also a further 5.5 hectares of vineyards, on a farming contract from the Lamadon family, brought the domaine up to its present size.
94 Points Allen Meadows
An exuberantly spicy and very ripe black fruit and cassis nose that remains admirably and attractively fresh merges into textured, supple and utterly delicious flavors brimming with ample amounts of dry extract that add to the seductive mouth feel on the strikingly complex and marvelously long finish. This is a terrific example of the appellation and will drink well young yet be fully capable of improving for at least 15 years.
93 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2009 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a delightful bouquet even if it has to shrug off a little reduction. There are plush red cherry and raspberry fruit, rose petals and candied orange peel scents. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, fine acidity, quite tannic and almost like a 2010 in style than 2009.