The 2016 Morey-Saint-Denis En La Rue de Vergy includes 50% whole-bunch fruit this year. It has a well-defined bouquet, darker berry fruit, earthier than say Bruno Clair’s own La Rue de Vergy, but it gains vigor in the glass. The palate is sharp and bright on the entry. I like the tannins here—very fine, slightly chalky with impressive mineralité and harmony on the black tea-tinged finish. It is not a deep or powerful Morey, but it feels long and terroir expressive.

The 2015 Morey-Saint-Denis En La Rue de Vergy has a lifted blackberry and raspberry-scented bouquet, touches of black pepper and damp undergrowth emerging with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. It feels foursquare at first, rather backward and serious, although it opens towards the finish with a tang of orange rind on the lightly peppered finish. Give this 3-4 years in bottle if you can, because there is fine substance in this En La Rue de Vergy.

The 2014 Morey-Saint-Denis En la Rue de Vergy, which includes 30% whole cluster and 30% new oak, has a strict, sous-bois-infused nose with dessicated orange peel scents that surface with continued aeration. The palate is lively and crisp with a keen line of acidity, more citric than the Chambolle Vieilles Vignes with plenty of vibrant red cherry and kirsch notes on the playful finish.

The 2013 Morey Saint Denis en la Rue de Vergy includes 30% whole-cluster fruit. It has a very expressive bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, fine mineralité and a hint of blood orange lending freshness and vitality. The palate is sweet on the entry with fleshy ripe red berry fruit that belie the structure underneath. It needs to develop more cohesion, though three or four years in bottle ought to knit this together.

The 2012 Morey-Saint-Denis En La Rue de Vergy, has a delicate nose at first that opens nicely with aeration to reveal rounded raspberry and fresh strawberry scents, hints of incense developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple, fleshy opening. This is very generous in the mouth, feels nice ‘n broad with languid red berry, peppery fruit on the finish. This combines approachability and breeding. My second visit to see Virgile Lignier, cousin of Laurent Lignier at Domaine Hubert Lignier, did not go to plan. With the winery seemingly empty, I wondered whether he had forgotten our rendezvous. I soon discovered that the original domaine is tucked away within the village of Morey Saint Denis, and that like many, expansion has meant that they had to move elsewhere to make their wines. Virgile finally appeared driving a forklift truck loading wines destined for my homeland (incidentally I wonder how many Bordeaux proprietors have such a license?) Still, we eventually sat down to taste his 2012s that had been racked mid-September and were now in tank. I have to admit, having heard so many bon mots about Lignier-Michelot, the 2011s had not swept me off my feet back last July, though I could see the potential. However, the 2012s are a different matter and showed more complexity and nuance. The harvest here commenced a little later than others on 27 September, though not as tardy as Laurent Ponsot up the road.