A high-altitude expression from one of Burgundy’s most pedigreed names, this is Pinot Noir stripped back to structure and clarity. Liger-Belair treats the Hautes-Côtes not as a lesser site, but as a cooler, more transparent lens on the Côte de Nuits — where freshness, precision, and tension lead instead of power.
Quick Facts
- Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
- Appellation: Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits AOC, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
- Vineyard: Les Clos du Prieuré, Arcenant (1.1 hectares)
- Vine Age: Planted 1986
- Soil: White marl and limestone
- Farming: Certified biodynamic
- Vinification: 50% whole cluster
- Aging: 30% new French oak barrels
- Alcohol: 13.8%
- Vintage: 2022
Tasting Profile
- Aroma: Forward raspberry, dark plum, earth, sous-bois, light tobacco, spice from whole cluster
- Body: Medium-full, with more density than a typical Hautes-Côtes
- Fruit: Red and dark fruit in balance; riper and more concentrated than the 2023 vintage would produce
- Oak: Present but integrated; adds framing without masking the fruit
- Texture: Firm tannins with a savoury, slightly saline edge; chalky and structured through the mid-palate
- Finish: Spicy and persistent, with citrus freshness at the close; benefits from time in glass
Why We Love It
The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits appellation covers land above the main Côte escarpment, and most of it is a step below in quality and ambition. Les Clos du Prieuré is not. Liger-Belair farms this plot at grand cru vine density, on a site with genuine geological character — white marl and limestone at 450 meters with a 40% south-facing slope — and makes it with the same attention he brings to his most prestigious holdings. The result is a Hautes-Côtes that tastes like a Nuits, which is a rare thing. The 2022 vintage amplifies that: richer and more structured than 2023, it is one of the most compelling expressions of this site in recent years.
Winemaking
Les Clos du Prieuré is farmed biodynamically, with horses used to plow the vineyard where the slope allows. At harvest, grapes are rigorously sorted before vinification with 50% whole cluster — the stems add aromatic complexity, spice, and structural lift to the finished wine. Fermentation proceeds with minimal intervention, and the wine is aged in French oak barrels with 30% new wood. Liger-Belair is known for a reductive approach during élevage, which he considers a contributor to long-term complexity. The wine is racked once during aging and bottled with minimal manipulation.
Serving and Pairing
Serve at 60–64°F. Decant 30 minutes before serving — the 2022 vintage benefits from air and rewards patience. Pair with roasted duck, venison, mushroom-forward dishes, aged hard cheeses, and charcuterie. The firm structure and savoury character make it well-suited to food; this is not a wine to open without something alongside it.
Drinking Window
Drinking well now through 2030. The 2022 vintage has genuine aging potential — guests who want to see this wine in a few years will be rewarded, but it is expressive and enjoyable at the table today with a decant.
Estate Overview
Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair was founded in 2001 when Thibault, then 26, took over the family vineyards that had been contracted out to sharecroppers, establishing his namesake domaine in Nuits-Saint-Georges. A cousin to the Vicomte Liger-Belair of Vosne-Romanée, Thibault trained as an oenologist and spent time as a wine buyer before making wine — a combination that shaped both his palate and his approach. The domaine now farms entirely biodynamically (certified since 2005), using horses wherever possible, and holds some of the Côte de Nuits' most significant vineyard sites: Richebourg Grand Cru, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, and Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges, the vineyard from which the village takes its secondary name. Les Clos du Prieuré in Arcenant was acquired in 2004 and represents the domaine's most accessible bottling — made without compromise to the philosophy that defines the rest of the range.
