The 2010 Charmes-Chambertin is striking for its weightless elegance and finessed, silky tannins. The use of 20% whole clusters gives the Charmes gorgeous aromatic lift and expressiveness. Persistent saline notes frame the eternal, mid-weight finish. Liger-Belair reports he had a very high percentage of shot berries in this parcel. The Charmes is made from purchased fruit from a parcel that sits just below the Laticieres/Chambertin border. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted with Thibault Liger-Belair. Thibault’s core holdings are the remaining vestiges of his family’s portion of the original Liger-Belair estate that was sold in the early 1930s. In recent years, Liger-Belair has added a few negociant wines to augment his range. Thibault Liger-Belair is the largest owner of the Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les St. Georges and the leading proponent of the movement to have the vineyard classified as a Grand Cru. Liger-Belair’s decision to taste his Les St. Georges in between the Clos de Vougeot and Richebourg makes an eloquent case. In fact, words are pretty much superfluous at that point. I will report on Liger-Belair’s 2009s in the April issue. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802