Harvesting began on 24 September, said Louis-Michel Liger-Belair. Overall losses were about 35% of a full crop. These losses included 99% of the Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Grandes Vignes white and 85% of the red from that vineyard, 35% of Echézeaux, 25% of Suchots, and 40% for vines at the bottom of Vosne-Romanée.
Malolactic fermentations were late here.
As in other years, quality is high across the board at this biodynamic estate.
2016 Vosne-Romanée
The cocoa nose here presumably is due to the 100% new oak for this wine (but in a 350-liter barrel, not the usual 228-liter barrique). The mouth shows red fruits, some rust, penetration, and good freshness and acidity. (90-93)
2016 Vosne-Romanée La Colombière
The Vosne, Colombière has spiced aromas and flavors. The fruit is darker than that of the previous wine and this wine is medium-weight. Only 1-1/2 barrels produced in 2016. (90-93)
2016 Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château
The Vosne, Clos du Château is medium-light in weight, mineral, and has very good energy to go with dark fruits and licorice overtones. (91-94)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes
This wine has an attractive perfumed and spiced nose. The mouth is medium-weight with minerality and dark fruits and plenty of energy and nervosity. The wine is steely in texture and pure. Some whole clusters were used in the making of this wine. (91-95)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
Liger-Belair’s Vosne-Suchots features red fruits and Suchots truffle aromas. The mouth shows dark and red fruits with minerality, a smooth texture, some spice, freshness, and length. (92-95)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts
The Vosne-Petits Monts has spice and even a little tobacco in the nose. The mouth shows blue fruits with minerality, purity, salinity, freshness, and a smooth texture. Quite promising. (92-95)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées
This wine is very concentrated with crushed blue fruits, good freshness, and minerality. From a plot in Brulées that is just below that of Bruno Clavelier. (92-95)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Cras
Liger-Belair’s Nuits-Cras has chipped stone aromas. The mouth is very smooth and silky and it is light on the palate. The wine is elegant, mineral, and long. (92-95)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Grandes Vignes
As I mentioned above, this vineyard suffered greatly from the frost in late April 2016; yield for the red wine was just 4.5 hl/ha. The wine has strawberry fruit and minerality with good length, and it is light on the palate. (90-94)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots
Immediately above La Romanée, the magnificent Vosne-Reignots has pure, spicy red fruit aromas. The mouth shows red and dark fruits with a touch of licorice and lightness on the palate. The wine has very good concentration, minerality, and finesse. Those lucky enough to have experience with La Romanée and below that, Romanée-Conti, will easily discern the progression and the relationship as one rises on the hill. (94-97)
2016 Clos-de-Vougeot
Liger-Belair was lucky in 2016 not to suffer losses at Clos-de-Vougeot, unlike most of the other producers of the appellation. The wine has intense black raspberry fruit typical of Clos-de-Vougeot, a smooth and steely texture, good length, and finesse for Clos-de-Vougeot. (93-96)
2016 Echézeaux
The Echézeaux features blue fruits, a sensual of texture, freshness, and minerality — just what Echézeaux should be. (93-97)
2016 La Romanée
Last, La Romanée came in with a full crop, at 35 hl/ha. The wine has strawberry fruit that is pure. There’s lightness here, reflecting the position fairly high up, and fresh acidity. This wine is quite similar to Romanée-Conti immediately below, but with just a bit less concentration. (95-98)