Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Aux Combottes” AOC 2023

Wine description for Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru “Aux Combottes” AOC 2023 by Hubert Lignier

Character

A Pinot Noir of cool clarity and fine definition, just as the Lignier family has strived to achieve for generations. Aux Combottes is regarded as a unique enclave: the only Premier Cru in Gevrey-Chambertin situated right in the midst of the Grand Cru belt. The result is a wine of dark, cool fruit, fine-grained tannins and a long, precise finish – convincing more through elegance than sheer power.

Terroir & Origin

The vineyard site Aux Combottes is a geographical curiosity on the Côte de Nuits: wedged between Clos de la Roche to the south and Latricières-Chambertin to the north, it shares the soils and exposure of its famous Grand Cru neighbours yet holds Premier Cru status. The Lignier family has been cultivating Pinot Noir in Morey-Saint-Denis since the 1880s; today, Laurent Lignier runs the domaine as the fifth generation. Since 2019, the estate has been certified organic.

Grape variety & Vinification

Pure Pinot Noir, vinified according to the estate’s understated yet rigorous principles. In the cellar in Morey, which was commissioned in 2008, everything is moved solely by gravity – no pump touches the wine from maceration to bottling. Long, cool pre-fermentation maceration, an increasing proportion of whole bunches and a deliberately restrained use of new oak, sourced from four different cooperages, define the style: precisely delineated, finely structured Pinots built for length and clarity.

Food recommendations

A wine of such finesse calls for dishes of similar restraint: partridge with lentils, duck breast with cherries, coq au vin or a simple pike-perch with mushrooms. A medium-aged Comté also makes a harmonious match. The cool fruit and refined tannins demand cuisine that seasons without overpowering.