Overall, Emmanuel Rouget said, he only has 20% of a normal crop, although the Cros Parantoux and Beaumonts vineyards did escape the frost.
Harvesting began on 1 October. There was very little triage, and as usual here, all grapes were destemmed. There was no chaptalization and alcohols are almost the same as in 2015.
Malolactic fermentations are a little on the late side — the Bourgogne-Passetoutgrains had not even started when I visited on the last day of October, and the Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Nuits was still in full malo. (It’s not unusual for Rouget to still have wines in malo when I visit in October-November.)
Bottling will take place in July, as usual.
As usual, this is an excellent set of wines. Emmanuel says that the acidity of the vintage gives the wines energy and finesse.
2016 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
As usual, this is outstanding Bourgogne. It is pure with red fruits and a silky texture. Overall, it is a pretty wine full of charm. (88-91)
2016 Chorey-les-Beaune
The Chorey-les-Beaune has red fruits and a taste of oak (there is but a single barrel of this wine, and it is new); with time, the oakiness should recede. The wine is light, pretty, and pure with good concentration. The vines here are about sixty years old. (87-90)
2016 Côte de Nuits-Villages
Rouget’s Côte de Nuits-Villages is light, pure, and intense with dark and red fruits. It is an elegant wine with no lack of finesse. (88-91)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges
The Nuits displays greater depth and structure along with dark fruit. The wine has depth and freshness. (90-93)
2016 Vosne-Romanée
As usual, the Vosne performs on a premier cru level. The wine is spicy, pure, and long with red fruits and some dark. The texture is silky and the wine develops in a direct line in the mouth. (91-94)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts
The Beaumonts is a classic. The nose shows typical violets. The mouth is airy with dark fruits, length, freshness, silkiness, finesse, and harmony. (93-96)
2016 Echézeaux
The magnificent Echézeaux has oriental spice in the nose. The mouth is silky, sensual, and ethereal with dark fruits of great density and length. (94-98)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux
Applying the word “magnificent” to the Echézeaux leaves me little room to characterize the Cros Parantoux. Super-sublime? The wine is still very young and the fruit undeveloped, but there’s tons of it, headed up by typical dark plums of great freshness. Any Richebourg (the neighboring vineyard) would be proud to be on this level. (96-99)