Hubert Lignier Morey Saint Denis Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru 2018 (750ML)

94 WA / 92-95 JM / 92-94 VM / 90-93 BH

The 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis Vielles Vignes 1er Cru, which is sourced from Les Faconnières and Les Chenevery, includes 30% whole-bunch fruit and one-third new oak. It has an intense nose of blueberry, black cherries and wet limestone scents that seem to burst from the glass. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins and a velvety smooth texture, with beautifully integrated oak toward the seductive finish. Gorgeous.-- Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

Unwinding in the glass with a deep, youthfully reserved bouquet of cassis, plums, rich soil tones, dark chocolate and warm spices, Lignier's 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes is medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a deep and textural core, lively acids and a long, mineral finish. Serious and elegantly muscular, this is a long-haul proposition, and I will be adding some to my own cellar.—William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

This is made from a single block but it straddles two vineyards, Faconnières and Chenevery. Delicious fresh pink purple, we were all impressed by its liveliness. One third whole bunches were used which may help, and the finish too shows a pleasingly crisp quality – and notable length. Tasted: November 2019—Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy

Note: a blend of two lieux-dits with 50 to 100 year old vines that is three-fourths Les Faconnières and the remainder is from Les Chenevery
Tasting note: There is enough reduction to blur the fruit though the notably denser medium-bodied flavors that display focused power and muscle on the succulent but serious finish. This slightly rustic effort is almost always one of Lignier's best and it is again in 2018. Outstanding—Allen Meadows, Burghound