Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru "Aux Charmes" (Magnum) (1.5 L)

Thibault Liger-Belair is the first vigneron in nine generations of a family that once owned La Tâche Grand Cru — a lineage of négociants who sold that monopole to DRC in 1929. When he founded the domaine in 2001, he made a deliberate break: where Nuits-Saint-Georges tradition demanded extraction and structure, he chose infusion. Charmes-Chambertin 'Aux Charmes' sits on the limestone-and-clay soils of Gevrey-Chambertin's largest Grand Cru climat, where shallower topsoil over fractured limestone bedrock drives the aromatic lift and red-fruit transparency that separates Charmes from the more muscular northern Grands Crus of the Gevrey ridge. Hand-harvested with triple sorting (at vine, before and after destemmer), the fruit undergoes native-yeast fermentation in open-top vessels with a meaningful whole-cluster percentage — Grand Cru parcels receive the domaine's highest whole-bunch inclusion — using minimal pumpovers and pigeage to preserve aromatic delicacy over tannic grip. Aging runs 14–18 months in lightly charred (5–7 minute) barrels, oak species and grain selected post-fermentation, with a mandatory 3-year wood-drying period to eliminate green tannin. Maximum new oak is capped at 50%. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The magnum format slows oxygen ingress, extending the integration window for the whole-cluster stems and fine-grained oak — a format that rewards patience. The 2021 Burgundy vintage delivered cool-season precision and naturally high acidity, favouring exactly this style of infusion-led winemaking.