(Originally published 9 December 2017.)
Christophe Drag said that production was down about 35% from a normal vintage.
Christophe Drag said that production was down about 35% from a normal vintage.
Harvesting began on 1 October — late for producers I visited — and finished just before the rains. All grapes were destemmed and no triage was necessary. There was no chaptalization, with the grapes coming in at 13-13.5º natural alcohols. Malolactic fermentations were earlier than usual, finishing by the end of June. Bottling may be as early as February, depending on how the wines continue to develop.
With the late harvesting, some of these wines may be closer to 2015 in style than most of the other 2016s I tasted.
There is interesting value here, especially for the Bourgogne and village wines.
2016 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
The floral nose has some spice to it. The mouth is smooth with pure raspberry and red currant fruit, density, length, freshness, and medium-weight. This should be an excellent bargain Burgundy. (87-91)
2016 Vosne-Romanée
From the Aux Ravioles lieu-dit in the southern edge of Vosne, this wine shows typical Vosne spice aromas. The mouth is elegant and pure with a touch of smoke and stone, darker fruit than in the Bourgogne, and good length. Christophe noted that he has to be careful not to extract too much here or the wine can become austere. (88-91)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges
The nose of the Nuits shows deep blackberry fruit. The mouth is round and medium-weight with a smooth texture, dense blackberry fruit, minerality, and good length. This wine comes from several lieux-dits on the Vosne side of Nuits-Saint-Georges. (90-93)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Lavières
As for many years, the grapes from the Lavières lieu-dit are kept aside to make a separate cuvée for the British market. The nose and mouth show spices close to those associated with Vosne. There is dark fruit, especially cherries, with a sillky texture, tension, and good energy. This may turn into an astonishing village wine. (90-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Argillas
The Nuits-Argillas features black cherry aromas. The mouth is silky and more airy than that of the Lavières. The black cherry fruit continues here with finesse and balance, length, and freshness. The vineyard was replanted in 1991, so the vines are not beginning to attain good age. (91-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes
There’s a touch of mint in the nose. In the mouth, the texture is firm but elegant and there is very good freshness. One can easily discern that this is a colder climate than the Argillas. The fruits are dark and there is minerality here with a bit of iodide. Overall, the wine is a bit more restrained than the Argillas. It is penetrating and contemplative. (90-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Bousselots
The Bousselots is broader in the mouth with some tannins to go with the dark fruit. There’s good length here, power, and almost a creaminess to the texture. This wine is still quite closed, but promising. (90-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Rue de Chaux
With the Rue de Chaux, we switch to the holdings that are on the southern side of Nuits. The fruit here is stony, dark, and mineral. There’s also plenty of tannin — this is a wine that will require some patience. (90-93)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Poulettes
The nose here is floral and stony. The mouth is silky, smooth, airy, and medium-weight. This is a flowing, approachable wine with good freshness. (91-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Perrières
The nose here is complex with dusty, deep dark fruit, especially dark cherry. The mouth is round and deep with dark cherry fruit. The wine shows more calm and less energy than usual and it is very deep and ripe. Perhaps atypical, but still impressive. (91-95)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
The Vaucrains is stony with tension, depth, and minerality. It shows dark fruits and strawberry jam. Here, like the Perrières, there’s quite a bit of ripeness. (91-95)