2015 Thibault Liger-Belair Bourgogne Aligoté Clos Des Perrieres La Combe

Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair is 20-acre estate in Nuits-Saint-Georges. It was created in 2003 by Thibault Liger-Belair, whose family has been in the wine business in Burgundy for several hundred years. Preceding generations ran domaines and negociant businesses. Today Thibault runs Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair and has a self-named negociant company. The domaine has parcels in eight appellations. There are Grand Crus in Clos de Vougeot and Richebourg, and Premier Crus in Vosne Romanee and Nuits-Saints-Georges. Thibault is the cousin of Louis-Michel of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair. Clive Coates notes that Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair “is a future star.”

Burgundy in eastern France is, if not the most famous and storied wine region in the world, certainly one of the top two or three. Its winemaking history dates from the Roman era, and its relatively small size and reputation for outstanding wines means that the best wines of Burgundy are generally among the world’s most prized – and costly – wines. At about 110,000 vineyards acres, Burgundy is only 40% as big as Bordeaux, and its system of dividing up vineyards into small, family-owned parcels makes understanding the wines of Burgundy a life-long pursuit for Burgundy enthusiasts. The three main grapes of Burgundy are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay. Burgundy is a long, narrow, north-south running region consisting of five main areas. They are Chablis in the north, Côte D’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais, which is just above the Rhone Valley. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are grown throughout most of Burgundy but Gamay is grown primarily in Beaujolais. The appellation system and rules about labeling can be confusing and the system classifies regions, villages and even individual vineyards. Grand Cru is the most prestigious appellation category, followed by Premier Cru and many village and regional appellations.