Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas 2016

THIBAULT LIGER-BELAIR

Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas
2016

  • Biodynamic
Country
France
Regulated designation
Appellation origine controlée (AOC)
Region
Burgundy
Subregion
Côte de Nuits
Appellation
Vosne-Romanée
Varietal(s)
Pinot Noir 100 %
Colour
Red
Producer's website

About this winery

Thibault Liger-Belair comes from a great winemaking family that has deep roots in Burgundy: he is a direct descendant of the Napoleonic General Louis Liger-Belair, who acquired the Chateau de Vosne in 1815 when he married Ludovie Marey, whose family had been Burgundy negociants since 1720. Youthful, passionate and always full of ideas, Thibault trained as an oenologist, but had his start in the wine industry as a wine buyer. He is also a former rugby player with a genuine 'down to earth'...

See the THIBAULT LIGER-BELAIR detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

This vineyard is 0.55 ha (1.36 acres) and was planted in 1954. This plot, located on the edge of the Premier Crus, is at the crossroads of the Combe de Nuits and the Combe de Vosne. It is a plot with a steep slope where the vines grow practically on the rock, which in places is flush with the surface of the soil. The upper part of the plot is on a rather dark clay soil.

Production notes

The grapes are harvested by hand and they are 100% destemming. There is a 3 week fermentation period with very moderate intervention. They are aging the wine in 40% new French oak barrels for 20 months. The wines are unfiltered and unfined.

Tasting notes

This wine is traditionally known for its purity and expression of minerality. On the palate there are bright red fruit, fine acidity, and a fresh, well-structured, minerally finish. This wine is an absolute steal and punches above its village cru status.

Press reviews

Tim Atkin MW

- 94 points -

March 2018

Aux Réas is on the south side of Vosne, touching Nuits-St-Georges. For a “simple” village wine this is very impressive indeed. The stony, sunny site has produced a Pinot that is pure, chalky and floral, with well-handled 50 % new oak, summer berry fruit and a refined finish.

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Vinous

- 92 points -

Stephen Tanzer, March 2015

Bright dark red. Raspberry liqueur and smoky minerality on the very ripe nose. Then highly concentrated and youthfully dry, with sappy, saline red fruit and mineral flavors carrying impressively through a very long finish. The pronounced rocky quality on the back gives this village wine outstanding structure and finesse, not to mention potential longevity.

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Vinous

91+

Stephan Tanzer, March 2014

Medium red. Wild floral high notes on the nose. All about energy and sap on the palate, showing excellent acid cut to the piquant floral, mineral and spice flavors. Strong calcaire pungency gives this wine a distinctly dry and uncompromising character. Finishes with very good mineral and floral persistence. Here's a 2011 that requires at least four or five years of cellaring. This and the following wines were bottled in September of 2013

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Burghound.com

(89-92) Points

January 2016 (Vintage 2014)

Reduction. There is a seductive texture to the solidly well-concentrated medium weight plus flavors that benefit from plenty of structure-buffering dry extract such that this seems more forward than it really is on the gorgeously complex and persistent finish. This is a terrific Vosne villages and unreservedly recommended.

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Vinous

91+

March 2016

Healthy deep red. Musky aromas of redcurrant, oak and smoky minerality, with a touch of reduction. Delivers good volume and sweetness, but the penetrating raspberry and cranberry flavors display a strong cool-vintage character. This sharply delineated village wine offers a lovely combination of fruity and savory elements. Finishes firmly tannic and quite long.

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Vinous

(91-93) POINTS

January 2017

(80% new oak; 100% destemmed, "as usual here"): Deep red-ruby. Reduced nose melds black raspberry, wild strawberry and sexy oak tones, all lifted by a chalky note. Combines good density with lovely precision, with the raspberry and red licorice flavors framed on the end by substantial but even tannins. Classy and persistent--and a serious outperformer for village wine.

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Vinous

(90-92) Points

Stephen Tanzer, January 2016

(destemmed; 42% new oak): Bright, dark red. Pungent raspberry and mineral aromas, along with a salty squid-ink reduction. Very intensely flavored, cool wine that nicely combines enticing sweetness with a strong stony element; lovely inner-mouth tension and perfume here. Finishes very firm and long, with the fine-grained tannins giving the wine grip while avoiding dryness. Today the noble reduction is keeping the wine fresh and energetic. An outstanding village wine in the making.

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Vinous

(90-92) POINTS

Stephen Tanzer, January 2018 (Vintage 2016)

Dark ruby-red. Inviting, rich aromas of black raspberry, flowers and bitter chocolate are accompanied by a positive hint of iodiney reduction. Sappy and vinous in the mouth, showing excellent energy to its flavors of dark raspberry, blackberry, spices, flowers and saline minerality. Finishes very long and fresh, with repeating notes of flowers and salty minerals and firm, spicy tannins that spread out and build.

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Burghound.com

(88-90) POINTS

2018 (Vintage 2016)

Moderately firm reduction presently dominates the underlying fruit. Otherwise there is very good richness and mid-palate volume to the caressing medium-bodied flavors that flash a touch of austerity on the mouth coating finish. This is a relatively big Vosne villages, indeed the word robust comes to mind.

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Burghound.com

(88-91) POINTS

2017 (Vintage 2015)

An elegant and layered nose combines notes of rose petal, red cherry, anise and a range of Vosne-style spice elements. There is a highly attractive texture to the supple, round and succulent medium weight flavors that possess excellent depth and length for a villages level wine. This is well worth considering.

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