2010 Thibault Liger-Belair Charmes-Chambertin

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.”

Charmes-Chambertin is a 78-acre Grand Cru vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin that traditionally includes the acreage of nearby Mazoyeres-Chambertin. For nearly 200 years the growers of Mazoyeres have been legally allowed to sell their wines under the more famous name of Charmes-Chambertin, and virtually all of them do. Charmes-Chambertin is the largest of the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus, and it generally has an excellent reputation. The slope of the vineyard is gentle and the surface soil poor. But producers including Joseph Roty, Christian Serafin, Domaine Dujac, Faiveley and Joseph Drouhin are acclaimed for their Charmes Chambertin. Principal landholders are Camus, with 14.75 acres; Perrot-Minot, 4 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.5 acres.

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.