2010 Moulin a Vent Clos de la Roche

Deep, bright ruby. Candied red and dark berries on the nose, with notes of violet and star anise adding complexity. Juicy and gently sweet, offering plush black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a broad, velvety texture. A weighty but energetic Beaujolais that finishes with intense spiciness and a lingering note of floral pastilles.

The 2010 Moulin-à-Vent La Roche is marked by intense salinity and sheer energy. Layers of expressive dark red fruit build towards the effortless, gracious finish. This is a beautifully balanced, totally harmonious Beaujolais from Thibault Liger-Belair.

The 2010 Moulin-a-Vent La Roche is marked by intense salinity and sheer energy. Layers of expressive dark red fruit build towards the effortless, gracious finish. This is a beautifully balanced, totally harmonious Beaujolais from Thibault Liger-Belair. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted with Thibault Liger-Belair. Thibault’s core holdings are the remaining vestiges of his family’s portion of the original Liger-Belair estate that was sold in the early 1930s. In recent years, Liger-Belair has added a few negociant wines to augment his range. Thibault Liger-Belair is the largest owner of the Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les St. Georges and the leading proponent of the movement to have the vineyard classified as a Grand Cru. Liger-Belair’s decision to taste his Les St. Georges in between the Clos de Vougeot and Richebourg makes an eloquent case. In fact, words are pretty much superfluous at that point. I will report on Liger-Belair’s 2009s in the April issue. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802