Georges Lignier - 2012 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Clos des Ormes

MCF Rare Wine Ltd.

Nothing's Better Than a Pleasant Surprise   (especially at a great price)

As I type this, it's been a pretty quiet day here at the shop -- a good day to get things done. While tackling various admin/upkeep tasks, I've been plunging deep into the youtube archives to geek out on some of my favorite guitar players -- John Scofield, Lee Ritenour, Bill Frisell -- to name just a few.

In the realm of fusion/jazz, these guys are all legends, but outside that small world, a lot of people have no idea who they are.

I mention this because it's kind of appropriate when discussing today's wine.

A lot of things get lost in hype of everyday life -- whatever is loudest or has the most hyperbole associated with it gets the most attention. In the meantime, some of the most important things, the very best experiences pass us by, completely overshadowed by the 'noisier' aspects of life.

In wine, the hype-iest vintages/producers get all the attention. That's not to say that great vintages and producers aren't worth of all that attention, but, many wines, many experiences, get drowned out...and that's a shame.

Today's wine is a great example of something that, were we to pay attention only to the 'best' producers in only the 'best' vintages, we'd have never known such a beautiful glass of Burgundy.

Georges Lignier is a producer whose wines were absent from the US market for a while, but have since found their way back to us.

This is a really good thing.

Like the wines of his more-famous cousin, Hubert Lignier, these are staunchly traditional in style, but, where Hubert's are big, brawny and meaty, the Georges Lignier lineup is much more pure and elegant.

They're also about half the price!

I'm not going to pitch you on the entire lineup here. I'm just focusing on one single wine because it came across my desk yesterday and it was SO good that I couldn't pass up the chance to tell you all about it.

The 2012 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Clos des Ormes is just so delicious that it's kind of hard to do it justice with words.

But I'll try...

The first whiff offers up such pure, tightly-packed, yet oh-so airy aromas of red fruit that I'd have sworn if blinded that we were dealing with a 1er Cru Vosne Romanée from a top vintage.

It's that kind of rosy, silky red fruit.

The purity (I'm going to keep using that word because it fits so perfectly here) of the red fruit is so balanced, so seamless, and as the finish creeps in, the stony-metallic-savory nuances pull you back into Morey. As it fades off the back of your tongue, a subtle baking spice hints at what's to come with a bit of age.

For a bottle to bring home and drink tonight...this is your pick.

For an incredibly tasty 1er Cru value from the Cote de Nuits to sock away a case of for medium-term aging...this is also your pick.

If you want to know what delicious Burgundy is all about, well...yeah...

Kick back with a glass, put on some Scofield and contemplate the subtle beauty in life.

I recommend his track 'Like the Moon'...

Wishing you a great rest of your weekend.

-- matt