Thibault Liger Belair

History of Domaine des Pierres Roses - Thibault Liger-Belair

Thibault Liger-Belair comes from one of Burgundy's most illustrious winemaking families. The Marey and Comte Liger-Belair establishments have existed since 1720. Thibault founded his family estate in Nuits-Saint-Georges in 2001, from family vines spread across the greatest appellations: Richebourg, Vosne-Romanée, Clos de Vougeot, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin. But it was at the Lycée Viticole de Belleville, in Beaujolais, that he completed his winemaking degree, and it was there that Moulin-à-Vent became for him "a revelation." Each morning, he opened his shutters onto the view of the Moulin-à-Vent hillside: "I have a principle which is that if the view is beautiful, in general the wines produced there should also be beautiful wines."

He purchased his first Moulin-à-Vent plots in 2008, "one by one," selecting the finest on the historic hillside of the appellation. The objective is clearly Burgundian: to isolate each soil type, each plot, in order to produce cuvées that resemble their terroir. "What surprised me first was seeing so many differences within such a small area — it reminded me of the Burgundian terroirs. Practically none of the producers distinguish between each of their cuvées." First vintage in 2009. The estate now reaches 14 hectares, certified Organic Agriculture, and stands among the absolute references of Moulin-à-Vent. The estate's winery is powered by geothermal and solar energy.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine des Pierres Roses - Thibault Liger-Belair

The vineyard of Domaine des Pierres Roses is entirely planted on the historic hillside of Moulin-à-Vent, spread across 9 distinct plots totaling 14 hectares. The soils are characteristic of the Moulin-à-Vent terroir: a shallow soil composed of white and pink sand, granite, and quartz at 30 to 60 centimeters depth, rich in manganese. It is this manganese that is considered a key factor in the atypical power and structure of Moulin-à-Vent wines, earning it the nickname "lord of Beaujolais" and its reputation for wines that "taste like Pinot." The vines of the Les Vieilles Vignes cuvée were planted between 1910 and 1955, making them 60 to 115 years old. The La Roche plot, on a slightly different terroir, expresses a more floral and more taut character.

The entire vineyard is farmed under certified organic agriculture, with the complete elimination of herbicides and the reintroduction of plowing from the very first years. Yields are deliberately controlled. Harvesting is done by hand. The winery, built to the latest environmental standards, runs on geothermal and solar energy.

Winemaking at Domaine des Pierres Roses - Thibault Liger-Belair

Thibault Liger-Belair applies exactly the same methodology to Beaujolais as in Burgundy: "we have reproduced the same working methods as the estate in Nuits-Saint-Georges." Manual harvesting at high maturity, controlled yields, fermentation partly in whole bunches with the proportion varying without dogmatism according to the cuvées and vintages (approximately 40% for Les Vieilles Vignes). Aging takes place in oak foudres for the Les Vieilles Vignes and La Roche cuvées, so as not to mark the wines with wood. For the other cuvées, very precise wood selection is carried out with two dedicated coopers, with a maximum of 50% new barrels. The wines are certified Organic Agriculture.

The cuvées of Domaine des Pierres Roses - Thibault Liger-Belair

Moulin-à-Vent Les Vieilles Vignes: The estate's emblematic and "flagship" cuvée, drawn from a blend of 9 plots situated around the Moulin-à-Vent hillside, with vines planted between 1910 and 1955. Shallow soil of white and pink sand, granite, and quartz. 100% Gamay, 40% whole bunches. Aged in oak foudres. Deep red color, nose of vivid and intense black fruit with licorice and pepper notes. A dense, elegant palate with remarkable persistence and length. "Exceptional concentration from the very first nose." To be enjoyed between 2023 and 2034 for the 2020 vintage. The ultimate ambassador of what Moulin-à-Vent can produce at its greatest.

Moulin-à-Vent La Roche: A single-vineyard cuvée from one of the estate's 9 plots on a slightly different terroir, expressing "a more floral and more taut character" than Les Vieilles Vignes. Aged in oak foudres. A red wine of characteristic elegance and mineral tension, with aromas of violet, cherry, and soft spices. A complementary and distinct expression from the same vineyard, testifying to the diversity of terroirs on the Moulin-à-Vent hillside.

Moulin-à-Vent (Additional Single-Vineyard Cuvées): Domaine des Pierres Roses produces several additional single-vineyard cuvées from the 9 plots of the vineyard, each expressing the singularity of its lieu-dit. In the manner of Burgundy, Thibault isolates each terroir to reveal its own nuances: more or less deep granite soils, slightly different aspects, varying vine ages. These additional cuvées, produced in very limited quantities, are the most precise expression of the Burgundian vision applied to the Gamay of Moulin-à-Vent.