The spelling varies: Reignots, Raignots. These are small rounded flint cores, embedded in a different rock. Often covered with a reddish film, they are indeed reminiscent of animal kidneys, hence “reignots”, “raignots” in Burgundian patois.
At the rising, the wall of La Romanée. A fault between the two climats. The parcel here climbs some 200 meters up the mountain. Extending over 73 a 19 ca, it is the largest of the Premier Cru (1 ha 61 a 80 ca), the only one to cover all the types of soil running from the bottom to the top of the appellation. Everything here is exciting because of the intimacy between this climat and its illustrious neighbours. Lots of active limestone. The soils here are very thin, rarely more than 20 to 25 cm of humus resting on the bank of the limestone rock. The roots of the vine sneak through faults up to 10 m deep to find the nutrients and water they need. In a dry year like 2003, plant life would have hard time withstanding without this deep resource.
The wine here has a typicality that often evolves towards pyrotechnic notes, flinty, rubbed flint, firecracker and reduction, especially at the beginning of the ageing. These notes fade slightly in the cellar, revealing a high density of wine, richness and power unusual to this appellation rank.
The Reignots are part of the Domaine that the family kept after the 1930s. Above the Reignots, the cross of La Romanée was erected on 4th June 1978 on the occasion of the golden jubilee of Canon Just Liger-Belair. Made of Morvan granite, it is the work of Roger Chopart, master-carrier in La Roche-en-Brenil and a gift of the Liger-Belair family.
Surface: 0.7319 hectare (1.808 acres) in Pinot Noir
Age of vines: in 2017, 30 % is 92 years old, 40 % is 62 years old and 30 % is 32 years old
Average production: 7 barrels - 2,100 bottles
Soil and subsoil: the soil is characterized by a very high percentage of round gravel of Comblanchien limestone. It is very rich in active limestone, of good drainage and very sensitive to erosion. This angular gravel was deposited under forms of thick scree (up to 10 meters) resulting from the gelifraction of Comblanchien limestone during the Plio-quaternary era, formed on beds of white oolith, and ulative grezes. The Jurassic substrate is composed of white oolith, but this latter rock is certainly not an important element of the subsoils providing nutrients to the plants..