Lignier Michelot Burgundy - Vintage 2018

Lignier’s take on the 2018 vintage was that “it has turned out to be a pleasant surprise because given how hot the growing season was I frankly expected heavy and over ripe wines but that’s not at all the case as the wines really changed during the course of the élevage. We had a huge fruit set and it was absolutely necessary to control yields and I debudded aggressively, in fact my yields in 2018 are about the same as they were in 2016. I began picking on the 8th of September and the fruit was clean and ripe, partially because the season was so warm but also because my yields were relatively low. Potential alcohols ranged from 12.8 to 14.8% though the highest were the regional vineyards as I picked them last. I used a very high percentage of whole clusters while vinifying softly, though over a longer period, as it was clear from the outset that it would be easy to extract plenty of tannin. As to the wines, they’re generous and seductive but they do not lack for either density or aging ability. They’re mostly very good but a few of them, in my view, are genuinely excellent. Perhaps their most surprising aspect is how clearly the terroir is expressed as that’s not always the case with very warm vintages.” Fans of the domaine will be very pleased to learn that as of 2019 the area farmed in Clos de la Roche will increase from .29 ha to .74 ha. Lignier also noted that the 2017s reviewed below were bottled in February 2019. Note: Lignier has a small négociant activity and the wines are sold under the name Maison Virgile Lignier. - Allen Meadows, Burghound.