Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

Why we follow Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

The estate

One of the great restoration stories in Burgundy. The family arrived in Vosne-Romanée in 1815 when Napoleonic general Louis Liger-Belair bought the Château de Vosne. At its height the estate ran to more than sixty hectares and included the monopoles La Romanée, La Tâche and La Grande Rue. A forced auction in 1933 dispersed almost all of it. Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, trained as an agricultural engineer and oenologist, formally re-established the domaine in 2000 and set about reclaiming parcels that had been farmed by sharecroppers for decades.

The vineyards

Ten and a half hectares across Vosne-Romanée, Nuits-St-Georges and Flagey-Échezeaux, producing around fifteen separate wines. At the centre is La Romanée: a monopole grand cru of 0.845 hectares, the smallest grand cru and the smallest appellation in France, sitting directly above Romanée-Conti and making around 4,000 bottles a year. Aux Reignots, at 0.73 hectares, is the largest holding in that premier cru and includes a parcel leased from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Échezeaux, Les Chaumes, Les Suchots and the Clos du Château complete the range.

In the glass

Horses returned to the vineyards in 2002, biodynamics followed in 2008, organic certification came in 2011 and Biodyvin in 2012. Louis-Michel's position is that ninety-five per cent of quality originates in the vineyard. Winemaking is accordingly restrained: native yeasts, gentle extraction, short macerations, and largely new oak on the top wines. La Romanée is rich and opulent and one of the most expensive wines in Burgundy. Aux Reignots, perched just above Romanée-Conti, is increasingly discussed as one of the finest premier crus on the Côte.

With Lamont’s

Offered through the Private Cellar Selection, generally following the September release. Register your interest and we will contact you when the next allocation is confirmed.