2013 Comte Liger-Belair Nuits-St.-Georges Aux Cras

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.”

Aux Cras is a 7.5 acre Premier Cru vineyard in Nuits-Saints-Georges, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. It is near the northern boundary of Nuits-Saints-Georges, at an average elevation of 270 meters. The soil is limestone and gravel. Some wine writers note that the wines from these northern Nuits-Saint-Georges vineyards have a hint of Vosne about them, since they are so close to the Vosne-Romanee appellation. Because there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Nuits-Saints-Georges, the appellation’s considerable reputation rests on its excellent Premier Crus.

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.