The 2016 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes has 50% whole bunch in the blend. It has a very composed bouquet with blackberry, graphite and undergrowth scents that gain vigor in the glass yet maintain Morey typicity. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannin, vibrant black fruit with just a hint of red cherry, fresh and tensile with impressive precision and focus on the finish. Very fine.

The 2015 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes, the last vineyard before you cross the border into Mazoyères-Chambertin, includes around 40% whole bunch fruit this year. It has a pastille-like purity on the nose: outgoing scents of crushed strawberry and raspberry preserve, clementine and a touch of iris. There is lovely definition and purity in situ. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, crisp red cherry and black pepper notes on the tip of the tongue, plenty of energy, although it just tapers in towards the finish, perhaps saving something for later. One of Virgile Lignier's more elegant contributions to the vintage.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes veered more toward red than black fruit on the nose, although it did not display the complexity of either La Riotte from Taupenot-Merme or Perrot-Minot tasted in the same flight. That said, I did notice some improvement in the glass, manifesting more terroir expression and vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, black tea and a touch of dried herbs. It fans out gently on the finish, maintaining the fruit concentration with a subtle wild mint/fennel note lingering on the aftertaste. This is a "grower"—returning time and again, I like Virgil Lignier's wine more and more. Tasted September 2017.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Morey Saint-Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes has a very attractive bouquet with impressive purity and delineation as it unfolds, offering wild strawberry, red plum and subtle undergrowth and sanguineous aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, edgy in style and tensile, fanning out nicely with sappy red fruit that persists in the mouth. This is a classy premier cru with the density to age. Tasted September 2016.

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Morey Saint Denis 1er Cru Aux Charmes from Virgile Lignier has a fragrant, perfumed and much more nuanced nose than its peers, more red fruit than black, more transparent, the terroir very expressive. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannin. There is more weight and structure here than the nose suggests, gently but insistently gripping the mouth with bitter cherry and a touch of dried blood on the finish. This is a very well crafted wine with complexity and character. Bon vin!