The 2008 Charles Noëllat Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru is a rare Burgundy find with a fascinating provenance, and these bottles have just been released in pristine condition. The wine was originally made by Lucie & Auguste Lignier from fruit that came from vineyards associated with Hubert Lignier, before Charles Noëllat later acquired and bottled the wine under its own label. It is essentially the same wine as Lignier’s Cuvée Romain Lignier, assembled from three excellent Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru sites: Les Faconnières, Les Chenevery and La Riotte. Faconnières sits directly below Clos de la Roche, and together these vineyards bring a compelling mix of structure, depth, perfume and freshness. The 2008 vintage was cool and classical, producing Burgundies driven more by acidity, aromatic lift and transparency than sheer ripeness, and the best examples have aged beautifully. Now approaching two decades old, it has developed the complexity that makes mature Morey so great, with red and black cherry giving way to dried flowers, sous-bois, forest floor, savory spice, and earthy mineral notes, all carried by the vintage's freshness and fine structure. The combination of serious Premier Cru terroir, mature 2008 character, unusual provenance, and pristine, recently released bottles makes this a genuinely rare find and a terrific buy for lovers of traditional Burgundy!