2013 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France

Press

Rated 96 points Wine Advocate
The 2013 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru comes from two parcels 62, 51 and 25 years old (one in Genavrières on the same side as Clos de Lambrays and two plots in Mont Luisants.) It has a very composed bouquet with pixelated black and red berry fruit that offers wonderful delineation and poise – a balletic bouquet. This is a very elegant Clos de la Roche, the exuberant nature of the vineyard contained…for now. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, tensile tannin. There is a cheeky vein of balsamic that surface toward the finish that fans out gloriously, lingers in the mouth. There is superb mineralité here, a sophisticated Clos de la Roche and perchance the best that Virgile has ever made. (NM)

Rated 92-95 points Burghound
Here too there is a backdrop of wood framing the very fresh and ripe aromas of black berry liqueur, plum, earth and discreet sauvage elements. The dense, powerful and brooding big-bodied flavors possess excellent mid-palate concentration along with a lovely sense of vibrancy as the intensity does a slow crescendo to the explosively long and muscular finish. Classic Clos de la Roche that is not only built-to-age but will absolutely require it.