Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Charmes 2021 Thibault Liger-Belair | Burgundy

Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair 's Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Charmes marks the return of white wines to this wine estate steeped in Burgundy history. From a terroir steeped in history, this cuvée marks the wine estate's first production of Chardonnay since 2011. The vines, over 40 years old, are planted in Lugny, the historic cradle of Burgundy Chardonnay, and even include "musky" Chardonnay plants, whose aromatic evocation imbues the wine with a singular signature. The Les Charmes terroir lies to the east of the Lugny appellation, facing due south on very white limestone that tempers the heat of the place and imbues the grapes with a welcome saline tension.

For this cuvée, Thibault Liger-Belair has opted for a refined approach. The grapes, hand-picked when perfectly ripe, are pressed slowly and at length to extract their full potential without excess. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, without the addition of wood, to preserve the purity of the fruit. Ageing lasts fourteen months, still in vats, to fully express the freshness and natural tension of the Lugny terroir.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Charmes immediately transports us to the Mâconnais region, with its limestone salinity, precise acidity and surprising density for a white Burgundy. Notes of exotic fruit and citrus add deliciousness without overpowering its mineral structure. This is a fine, clear Chardonnay, carrying the freshness of a solar Burgundy contained by the expertise of Domaine Liger-Belair.

On the nose, the cuvée opens with a luminous bouquet of fresh citrus, recalling the liveliness of yellow lemon and the sweetness of pink grapefruit. Solar aromas of exotic fruit, enriched by a floral nuance reminiscent of white rose and honeysuckle, fill the glass. A subtly spicy note carries the whole delicately.

On the palate, the attack is lively and fluid, sustained by crystalline acidity and balanced by tender flesh. We find the gourmet harmony between the aromatic richness of exotic fruit, citrus zest and Lugny's vertiginous minerality. The texture is velvety and the energy constant, while the peppery, saline finish stretches out with an elegant limestone freshness.