2018 Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche MCMLV 1.5ltr

The second iteration of a new cuvée for the domaine is the 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée MCMLV, a bottling that evokes that date this parcel in Monts Luisants—purchased with inherited money and despite family skepticism by Laurent Lignier's grandmother, who chose it because it never frosted—was planted with an old massale sélection. Lignier produced two barrels, using the fruit of vines from the original planting that yielded a mere 17 hectoliters per hectare. A magical bottle in the making, for anyone able to find one, the wine offers up a deep bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries and cherries, complemented by hints of smoked meats, peonies and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's both more intense and livelier than the domaine's regular—and formidable—Clos de la Roche, structured around rich, powdery tannin and concluding with a long, mineral finish.  William Kelley 95-97