A profound, age-worthy Grand Cru Burgundy from Morey-Saint-Denis, combining remarkable concentration with freshness, precision, and a distinctly mineral character.
The superb 2022 vintage delivers generous red and dark fruit—plum, cherry and wild berries—layered with violet, spice, earth and subtle smoky notes. Beneath the richness lies the firm structure Clos de la Roche is renowned for, with fine tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, chalky-mineral finish.
Powerful yet refined, this is a serious Burgundy built to age for years in the cellar.
Region: Burgundy, France
Subregion: Côte de Nuits
Appellation: Clos de la Roche Grand Cru AOC
Village: Morey-Saint-Denis
Vintage: 2022
Producer: Domaine Georges Lignier & Fils
Grape: 100% Pinot Noir
Classification: Grand Cru
Style: Dry Red Burgundy
Clos de la Roche is one of the four Grand Cru vineyards entirely within Morey-Saint-Denis and is traditionally associated with some of the village's most powerful and long-lived wines.
Domaine Georges Lignier & Fils owns approximately 1.05 hectares divided among four parcels, with vines averaging around 55 years of age.
The shallow clay-limestone soils sit close to the underlying rock and are notably stony, contributing to the vineyard's characteristic combination of concentration, structure and mineral intensity.
The wine is matured in small Burgundy barrels, with approximately 40% new oak.
The concentration of the old-vine fruit absorbs the élevage beautifully, adding subtle spice and texture while allowing the character of Clos de la Roche to remain firmly at the center of the wine.
Nose:
Ripe cherry, plum and wild red berries with violet, orange zest, exotic spice and subtle notes of smoke and earth.
Palate:
Deep and concentrated, with generous red and dark fruit carried by vibrant acidity. The palate is layered and powerful yet remarkably precise, with fine, powdery tannins providing considerable structure.
Structure:
Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and firmly structured. Generous fruit surrounds the tannins, while pronounced mineral freshness keeps the wine beautifully balanced.
Finish:
Exceptionally long and precise, with lingering red fruit, spice and a distinctive chalky, saline-mineral character.
Domaine Georges Lignier & Fils Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2022 is one of the domaine's most important and cellar-worthy wines.
The combination of mature vines, significant holdings within the Grand Cru and the generosity of the 2022 vintage has produced a Burgundy of impressive concentration without sacrificing freshness or finesse.
It is already remarkably complete, but the underlying structure suggests that its greatest complexity will emerge with patience.
Cherry · Plum · Wild Berries · Violet · Orange Zest · Exotic Spice · Earth · Chalky Minerality
Drink: 2027–2048+
Preferred Window: 2030–2045
The 2022 has sufficient fruit and balance to be approached relatively young, but this is fundamentally a wine to cellar.
At present, the fruit is generous while the tannins and mineral structure remain youthful and pronounced. Another 3–5 years in bottle should bring considerably greater integration.
From around 2030, expect the wine to begin developing the secondary and tertiary complexity that makes mature Grand Cru Burgundy so compelling.
With bottle age, expect:
Dried Cherry · Rose Petal · Tea Leaf · Forest Floor · Truffle · Game · Earth · Savoury Spice
If opening young, allow approximately 60 minutes in the glass or open bottle, tasting periodically rather than aggressively decanting.
Well-stored bottles should evolve beautifully throughout the 2030s and 2040s.
Serving Temperature: 16–17°C
Recommended Pairings:
Duck Breast · Pigeon · Guinea Fowl · Lamb · Beef · Venison · Wild Game · Beef Wellington · Porcini · Morels · Black Truffle · Époisses · Aged Comté
A serious bottle for the Burgundy collector and one of the standout wines of Domaine Georges Lignier & Fils.
Compared with the domaine's more perfumed and sensual Clos Saint-Denis, Clos de la Roche typically offers greater breadth, structure and mineral power, making it particularly suited to extended cellaring.
For the best experience, give the 2022 several more years in the bottle before serving with roast pigeon, venison with morels, or beef with black truffle.
Serve at about 16°C in a large Burgundy glass, and let the wine unfold gradually throughout the meal.
