2023 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Domaine Lignier-Michelot

• Style: Dry Grand Cru red Burgundy, 100% Pinot Noir, Côte de Nuits, 13.5% ABV
• Taste: Poached plum, blackberry, violet, star anise, saline finish
• Food: Roast game birds, duck, beef bourguignon, wild mushrooms, venison
• Critic: Jasper Morris 97, Jancis Robinson 91
• Occasion: Landmark celebrations, a serious gift, or cellar worthy
• Serve: Open now alongside a roast, or lay down for years

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

The 2023 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from Domaine Lignier-Michelot is a dry, deeply coloured red Burgundy with real presence, a Grand Cru Pinot Noir from the Côte de Nuits at 13.5% ABV. Jasper Morris scores it 97 and Jancis Robinson 91, and the reasons show quickly in the glass. The Côte de Nuits is the northern half of the Côte d'Or and the home of Burgundy's greatest reds, and its classic fragrance comes through here as violet and star anise, layered over ripe poached plum and dark blackberry. On the palate the fruit is generous, but robust, firm tannins give it grip, while a cool thread of freshness keeps the wine lively and energetic. The finish is long, with a distinctly saline tang. For anyone looking for a structured, ageworthy Pinot Noir with Grand Cru depth, this delivers serious concentration without heaviness.

The Winery — Domaine Lignier-Michelot

For generations, the Lignier family grew grapes and made wine, but the bottles went to négociants rather than appearing under the family name. That changed in the early 1990s, when Virgile Lignier began working alongside his father and chose to bottle and sell the wines under the domaine's own label. He took full charge in 2000 and has since built Domaine Lignier-Michelot into one of the most respected estates in the Côte de Nuits. With close to twenty vintages behind him, Virgile has converted the vineyards to entirely organic farming, and many now regard his wines as the finest in the village. This Clos de la Roche cuvée comes from just 0.3 hectares of vines, some planted in 1968, which makes it a rare bottling. The 2023 season began with a turbulent spring and early summer before settling into a calm August, and the harvest brought both balance and vigour. In the cellar, Virgile ferments with 80% whole bunches and gently infuses the fruit rather than extracting hard. The wine then spends a year in barriques, with no more than 30% new oak, followed by four months in steel, so the oak frames the fruit rather than masking it. It is the jewel of our Domaine Lignier-Michelot collection.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This Grand Cru has the grip to stand up to a proper roast dinner. Serve it with roast game birds, duck, venison or beef bourguignon, a slow braise or stew, a good steak, or dishes built around wild mushrooms and truffle. It is a natural choice for a landmark celebration and makes a memorable gift for a Burgundy lover. It is also a wine worth cellaring, because its tannin, freshness and depth are built to develop over years. If you want a red Burgundy that combines critic acclaim, organic farming, old vines and genuine scarcity, this is the bottle to buy. For lighter midweek drinking, browse our Medium Bodied Red Wine range, then come back to this Clos de la Roche for the occasions that deserve it.