Clos de Vougeot is the largest Grand Cru vineyard on the Côte d’Or, dating back to Cistercian times when monks knew what we know now: location, location, LOCATION! Across Thibault Liger-Belair’s holdings old vines from 1944 mesh with younger plantings. The older vines account for 60% of surface area but 40% of fruit volume, so abstemious are the yields. The results speak for themselves, however: depth, clarity, precision and guile.

Charmes-Chambertin is a gentle slope, undulating toward the valley floor. Its wines are often similarly gentle: red fruited, svelte and broachable, even at a young age. Thibault Liger-Belair, however, puts a different spin on it. His incantation of holistic farming, reductive handling and bespoke whole-bunch usage, results in wines that are more brooding and muscular, with Charmes’ typically smooth edges.

THIBAULT LIGER-BELAIR Les Charmes , Bourgogne Blanc

THIBAULT LIGER-BELAIR Les Renardes Grand Cru, Corton

For many Burgundophiles, Richebourg is the single greatest vineyard in Burgundy. More statuesque than la Tache and when on form, more exotic and forceful, than Romanée-Conti. Expect aromas of the Moroccan souk, coupled with firm, sinuous tannins that demand reconciliation in the cellar. Thibault Liger-Belair’s vines are very old in a regional context, dating to 1931-1934, imparting depth and vinous torque.

THIBAULT LIGER-BELAIR Les Belles Crois, Nuits-Saint-Georges

THIBAULT LIGER-BELAIR Les Saint Georges 1er cru, Nuits-St-Georges