Don’t even try. You are not going to find a wine out there at this price with the ‘Liger-Belair’ name on it.

In fact, Antonio Galloni of Vinous once wrote that Liger-Belair’s wines “are going to be hard to find, but if you see them, don’t hesitate.”

Why? Because the great, great (or great, great, great?) grandpa Liger-Belair was Napoléon’s general. Simple as that.

And while the rest of Burgundy dreaded the Draconian inheritance laws Napoléon bestowed upon the region that resulted in minuscule partitions of vastly valued vineyards these days, the aristocracy scooped up the lion’s share of the best of the best. The Liger-Belair clan at one point owned 100 hectares in Vosne including mythical vineyards such as La Romanée, La Tâche, Richebourg, La Grand Rue, Malconsorts, to name a few. Yeah, the neighbor DRC or Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wasn’t too happy about that.

Fast forward a few centuries, and the young, gifted and loaded new generations carry the nobility and the legacy with pride and perfection. Thibault is one of them.

In fact, he is so boisterously adventurous, and down to earth that he developed a special linking for the underappreciated terroirs of Beaujolais. In this Bourgogne red, he showcases how Gamay, once a lesser perceived grape, blends seamlessly and deliciously with patronizing prime Pinot from the golden slope to the north. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate had announced this bold move as “Thibault Liger-Belair is the first – but will surely not be the last – owner-winemaker of a prestigious, small Cote d’Or estate to follow in the footsteps of several giants by investing in Beaujolais.”

And the result is divine.

Vivid ruby in the glass, right in between vibrant transparency, and sheer opaqueness. Cherries red and black meld with notions of plum on the nose, followed by nuances of sweet spice, and scorched earth. At once juicy and sappy on the palate, with fine tannins giving the velvety mouthfeel heft and depth. The finish echoes the red fruits with darker notes in the back with a long and pleasant breadth. This is a quintessentially delicious Burgundy cuvée, bound to pair with your fall dinners exquisitely. Thanksgiving would be for example an ideal time and table to enjoy this.

With 6 years on the vintage, time did it wonders, from the barrel tasting note days by hard to please Burghound “An attractively fresh nose combines notes of pepper, earthy and various dark berry aromas. There is both good energy and detail to the delicious flavors…” it sure has evolved well into this ethereal place today.

Foremost expert Bill Nanson of Burgundy Report puts the scarcity factor of Thibault Liger-Belair’s gems into perspective best “I have to be thankful that I got an appointment, domaines such as this are over-run with requests to taste – if they agreed to all, there would be no wine left to bottle!”

On that note, you guessed it…don’t sleep on this one. There ain’t much to go around.