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Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru from Thibault Liger-Belair, alas, failed to show the promise that it conveyed when I tasted this from barrel. It has plenty of dark fruit on the nose, but it lacks the purity and delineation one expects from a grand cru. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannin, quite dense in the mouth but missing grace, and it is rather hard and sour on the finish. Maybe this is just in a sulky phase? I attach a question mark next to my score just in case. Tasted September 2017.
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Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright, dark red. Youthfully sullen nose offers slightly inky scents of red cherry, minerals and earth. Then fresher than the nose suggests and extremely unevolved on the palate, conveying very good energy and a chewy quality to its sharply delineated berry, red licorice and saline mineral flavors. The wine's serious building tannins are going to require extended cellaring.
(vinified with 20% stems--from the most aerated clusters--for the first time): Very good dark red. Dark berries, cherry, mint, crushed stone and spices on the nose; Liger-Belair notes that his fruit reflects "a bit of all three main soil types in Clos-Vougeot." Juicy, very primary and tightly wound, with pungent spicy mineral lift to the almost tart raspberry and red cherry flavors; additional treble notes of blood orange and mint accentuate the wine's high pitch. Finishes firmly tannic and totally unevolved. This youthfully imploded wine may be bottled very late and will surely be a long ager. A touch dry today but exudes captivating aromatic perfume.