2016 Comte Liger-Belair La Romanee

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair is a 23-acre estate in Vosne-Romanee. It was created in 2000 by Louis-Michel Liger-Belair from vineyards that have been in the Liger-Belair family, in one way or another, since the early 19th century. The original Louis Liger-Belair was a general in Napoleon’s army who purchased the chateau in 1815 and in the early 20th century wines were made under the name of Comte Liger-Belair. However in the middle of the 20th century parts of the estate were lost or sold for various reasons. Today Louis-Michel has re-established the Comte Liger-Belair label and he has vineyards in 12 appellations. There are Grand Cru parcels in La Romanee and Echezeaux, and Premier Crus in Vosne-Romanee and Nuits-Saint-Georges. Clive Coates has written that “from the start, Louis-Michel has shown himself to be a sensible and astute winemaker: a man of real talent. These are elegant, finely tuned and very pure wines.”

La Romanee is the smallest Grand Cru vineyard in Burgundy at just 2.5 acres. It is a monopoly wholly owned by the Liger-Belair family, now doing business as Domaine du Vicomte Liger-Belair, Chateau de Vosne-Romanee. Until 2005 Bouchard Pere et Fils was responsible for the elevage and marketing of the pinot noir from this vineyard, but that relationship ended Louis-Michael Liger-Belair completed his education and moved back to the family estate. La Romanee is directly up the slope from Romanee-Conti, the most celebrated vineyard in France, and La Romanee’s elevation ranges from 275 to 300 meters.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.