Thibault Liger-Belair : Corton Grand cru "Les Renardes" 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Corton Grand Cru "Les Renardes" 2023 by Thibault Liger-Belair

Tasting

Appearance
The wine shows a deep ruby hue tinged with purple, with a beautiful brilliance.

Nose
The bouquet opens with notes of dark fruit such as blackcurrant and blackberry, underscored by touches of sweet spice. Subtle animal nuances reminiscent of leather blend with a characteristic mineral backbone.

Palate
Dense and structured, the palate offers a silky texture carried by delicate tannins. The high proportion of limestone in the soil brings a lovely freshness that draws the wine out into a long, sensual finish.

Food and Wine Pairings

This red wine pairs ideally with full-flavoured meats such as a dry-aged rib of beef, duck magret or game in sauce. It also goes very well with aged hard-pressed cooked cheeses such as mature Comté.

Serving and Cellaring

To fully enjoy the Corton Grand Cru "Les Renardes" 2023, we recommend serving it at around 16°C and decanting it while young. Built for long keeping, this wine can rest in the cellar for many years to reveal its full complexity.

The Power and Depth of a Red Wine from the Côte de Beaune

The Estate

Heir to a long family tradition dating back to 1720, Thibault Liger-Belair founded the estate bearing his name in 2001, taking back the historic vines that had until then been sharecropped. Located in France, in the Burgundy region, the estate now extends over approximately 18 hectares. A fervent advocate of viticulture that respects living systems, Thibault Liger-Belair, the current owner and manager, farms his entire vineyard according to the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture, thereby revealing the precise identity of each terroir.

The Vineyard

The plot of around one third of a hectare lies mid-slope on the hill of Corton, within the commune of Aloxe-Corton. Facing south-east, the old vines planted in the 1950s thrive on a singular terroir. A geological fault reverses the usual soil structure: the lower part is very limestone-rich, while the upper part proves more clayey. This brown, stony soil gives the grapes beautiful ripeness while preserving a mineral tension.

Winemaking and Ageing

The creation of the Corton Grand Cru "Les Renardes" 2023 relies on hand harvesting followed by meticulous sorting. The vinification favours a gentle infusion, using only native yeasts and incorporating approximately 40% whole bunches. After a maceration that respects the fruit, the wine is aged in oak barrels, including a measured proportion of new wood with a light toast, for many months on the lees. Bottling is carried out by gravity after a gentle filtration.

Grape Variety

100% Pinot Noir