(Originally published January 2018)
Jean-Nicolas Méo said that for Vosne-Romanée vineyards, the yields were fairly normal; for Clos-de-Vougeot, they were about 70-75% normal; and for the négociant wines, they were about 2/3 of normal, although for Chambolle-Musigny, that figure was only 1/3.
Jean-Nicolas Méo said that for Vosne-Romanée vineyards, the yields were fairly normal; for Clos-de-Vougeot, they were about 70-75% normal; and for the négociant wines, they were about 2/3 of normal, although for Chambolle-Musigny, that figure was only 1/3.
Harvesting generally began on 26 September, although a little was taken in on the 24th. Not much sorting was necessary. No chaptalization was done, and yet alcohols are just a little above those of 2015. Malolactic fermentations finished in March, April, and May, which is rather normal. Jean-Nicolas noted that lab analyses of the pHs show higher that he thought — most are around 3.5, although a few are around 3.7.
Wines marked with an asterisk (*) are négociant wines under the Méo-Camuzet Frère & Soeurs label.
2016 Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Nuits Clos St-Philibert Chardonnay
This wine is very stony and mineral in nose and mouth and shows good purity. The vineyard was planted about 25 years ago, so maturity is emerging; unfortunately, a wood disease threatens that the vineyard may need to be replanted. (88-91)
2016 Saint-Romain*
This white is mineral with finesse and lightness on the palate and long lime flavors. (88-91)
Switching to the reds:
2016 Marsannay*
The Marsannay has a creamy texture, dark fruits, some salinity, and good length. (87-90)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges*
The estate’s holding in Bas de Combe has in part been ripped out for replanting, so grapes were bought-in from the La Petite Charmotte lieu-dit, just below Bousselots. The wine is saline with good acidity, red fruits, and a creamy texture. (87-90)
2016 Vosne-Romanée
This is the fully-assembled wine (sometimes when I taste here, the parcels have been kept separate). It is medium-weight with salinity, raspberry fruit, and good length. (89-92)
2016 Fixin 1er Cru Clos du Chapître*
There’s some salinity in this wine to go with creaminess and crushed blueberry and raspberry fruit, making for an attractive wine. (88-91)
2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru*
Because of the very low production in 2016, the grapes from the Cras and Feusselottes vineyards were combined into this 1er Cru bottling. There’s more acidity apparent here, but it is not aggressive. The wine shows depth and finesse to its raspberry fruit. (90-93)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes
Méo’s Vosne-Chaumes features very ripe red and dark fruits, but the wine also has finesse, along with good length and some salinity. (90-93)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers
The Nuits-Murgers starts with blueberry fruit aromas. In the mouth, the wine has finesse almost like that of a Chambolle-Musigny to go with dark and red fruits and lightness on the palate. (90-94)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Boudots
The Nuits-Boudots has creaminess of texture to go with spicy red fruits. The wine shows finesse, length, and energy. (91-94)
2016 Clos-de-Vougeot
Méo's Clos-de-Vougeot represents a major step up in quality from the two Nuits premiers crus. The texture is creamy with red and black raspberry fruit, finesse, and enough acidity to add freshness. (93-97)
2016 Corton-Perrières
The Corton-Perrières has spicy blueberry aromas and flavors, intensity, finesse, and it is medium-light on the palate. (92-95)
2016 Corton-Clos Rognet
Arguably Méo-Camuzet’s most underrated wine, the Corton-Clos Rognet displays floral aromas, intense red fruit flavors, depth, some power, precision, finesse, and depth. The wine is at least outstanding and could prove to be great. (94-97)
2016 Echézeaux Rouges du Bas
Méo-Camuzet was fortunate in 2016, as its vines were located just above the area affected by frost. As a result, unlike other Echézeaux in the vintage that frequently had yields in the single digits, here the yield was normal. The nose features raspberry and red currant fruit. The mouth is smooth in texture with minerality, energy, freshness, and precision. (93-96)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brulées
Located just beyond the Richebourg boundary, the Vosne-Brulées is more closed than the Echézeaux and more tightly-wound. Its fruits are dark and deep with plenty of tension and energy. (94-97)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Au Cros Parantoux
Bounded on two sides by Richebourg, the Cros Parantoux is deep, pure, and exuberant with red and dark fruits, intensity, penetration, and length. (95-98)
2016 Richebourg
Last, the Richebourg itself is deep and sappy with sucrosity of texture, power, long dark fruits, and great tension. (95-98)