Purity and Class

The Lignier-Michelot family’s winemaking path follows the same as so many in Burgundy. Beginning as humble farmers in Morey St. Denis, they were tending vines and selling fruit to support their family. But fourth generation grower Virgile Lignier told his father Maurice that he wanted to start making wine with their grapes, under the family name. And so, in 1992, Virgile made this dream come true—and hasn’t looked back since. 

Like all great winemakers, Virgile knew that starting a venture with a strong winemaking philosophy was paramount. And who better to look to in Burgundy for guidance than the legendary Henri Jayer? One of his key components was working with as many older vines as possible. Fortunately for Virgile, his parcels had some good age on them when he started making wine. Fast forward to today, and the vines are up to 75 years old, with many of the wines boasting average vine ages of 55 years. 

What’s inside the bottles is, perhaps unsurprisingly, fantastic. The purity, class, freshness, and sense of place is all proof that Virgile’s goal of following in the great Henri Jayer’s footsteps was not overly ambitious. And what’s better? The wines are still modestly priced! While many of the best producers have exceeded $100 for a bottle of their village wines—and in some select scenarios, $500!—we have several vintages on offer today for well under that price point. Further, we have multiple vintages of their celebrated Clos de la Roche, priced significantly lower than their neighbors, and easily at the same level of quality. These are stunning wines, and while they certainly have the stuffing to age, can deliver immediate joy as VIPs in your “drink” pile.