LIGNIER MICHELOT Clos de la Roche Grand cru 2023

The 2023 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, which includes 80% whole bunch, has a beautifully defined bouquet that is more complex and terroir-expressive than the preceding Charmes-Chambertin. The palate is medium-bodied with a fleshy opening that disguises the insistent grip behind, a testament to Lignier-Michelot's more hands-off approach in extraction. It is refined, with lovely balance and a touch of allspice toward the finish. This is a worthy follow-up to his standout 2022. I would not be surprised if it ends up at the top of my banded score once in bottle.