See here for an introduction to the vintage at Domaine de la Vougeraie.
2016 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Marconnets
This wine is dense with spicy, deep, pure, mostly dark fruits. Savigny is especially rare in this vintage, but the wine is worth your interest should you come by it. 45% whole clusters. Harvested 19 and 20 September. The yield of 25 hl/ha is the envy of many other Savigny vignerons. (89-93)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de Thorey
The fruits here are darker than for the Marconnets. The wine has density, purity, and length. 35% whole clusters here. Harvested 19 and 20 September. Yield of about 9 hl/ha instead of a usual 30. (90-93)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes
The Damodes is spicy, dark in fruit, pure, long, and elegant — it’s not hard to understand that the wine is from a vineyard that borders Vosne-Romanée. This is Vougeraie’s only wine where no vines froze in 2016 — notwithstanding the position high on the slope. 100% whole clusters. Harvested 30 September. (91-94)
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Bel Air
From a vineyard just above Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze, the wine has red cherry and red currant fruit that is intense and penetrating. Good energy here. 100% whole clusters. (91-94)
2016 Corton Le Clos du Roi
The Clos du Roi shows finesse, depth, creaminess of texture, length, and good volume. 90% whole clusters. Harvested 29 and 30 September. (91-95)
2016 Clos-de-Vougeot
From two parcels totaling 1.5 ha., this wine has powerful dark fruits but also good finesse and elegance for a Clos-de-Vougeot. 100% whole clusters. Harvested 28, 29, and 30 September. (92-95)
2016 Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyères
The texture here is almost creamy, and the fruit is dark berry. The rusticity one often fines in Mazoyères is not present here, and instead there’s almost a crystalline quality to the fruit. Well done. 100% whole clusters. Harvested 30 September. Half a normal crop here. (92-95)
2016 Bonnes-Mares
Vougeraie’s Bonnes-Mares shows great finesse to go with its dark fruits. There’s also a hint of licorice here, and going a step further than the Charmes-Chambertin, there is actual crystallinity to the wine. 100% whole clusters. Harvested 29 September. Five barrels vs. ten in a normal year. (92-96)
2016 Musigny
Rising above the other wines, as it should, the Musigny is pure and deep with blueberry and blackberry fruit, spices, and a velvet texture. Harvested 28 September. Two barrels here instead of 3-1/2 in an abundant year. (94-97)