This estate was my first introduction to the sad fact that losses from the frost and the subsequent mildew were more severe than had previously been stated. In particular, I learned here that counter to what many have said, vineyards in both Vosne-Romanée and Gevrey-Chambertin were affected. Overall, the estate lost 60% of what would be a normal harvest. Two appellations, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Poisets and Clos-de-Vougeot, were not made in 2016 because damage losses there were so severe. Vosne-Romanée, Aux Reignots was the estate’s only appellation that did not suffer losses.
Harvesting began on 22 September with the Reignots. There was then a pause, and the harvesting of the remaining vineyards began on 26 September. There was no triage here, and only a minor amount of chaptalization in order to extend the fermentations. Malolactic fermentations began in late November and early December and finished in January, except for the Vosne-Chaumes, which took a bit longer.
These are dazzling wines with great finesse, precision, and fidelity to terroirs. Charles Lachaux continues to do wonderful things since he took over this already much-esteemed domaine.
The first four wines were racked three weeks prior to my tasting them and had been transferred to tanks to await bottling.
2016 Bourgogne Pinot Fin
This is always a Bourgogne of outstanding quality. The wine is elegant and mineral with red fruits. 60% whole clusters in this wine. Charles Lachaux said he may bottle the wine in December. (87-91)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges
This wine is mineral, calm, and pure with red fruits, finesse, length, and precision. 70% whole clusters, 15% new oak. (89-92)
2016 Chambolle-Musigny
The floral nose here is followed in the mouth by floral red fruits with minerality. The wine shows length, finesse, and good substance. 15% new oak here, and I do not have the percentage of whole clusters, but I expect it was similar to the village Nuits. (90-93)
2016 Vosne-Romanée
The Vosne shows good density and chewiness with finesse and more density than in the previous wines. There’s great minerality and darker fruit here. 15% new oak, and although I do not have the percentage of whole clusters, it should be similar to that of the village Nuits. (90-93)
2016 Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes Maizières
The Vosne-Hautes-Maizières shows more substance than the foregoing wines with dark fruits and finesse. The wine is long, mineral, precise, and elegant. 60% whole clusters here. (90-93)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Procès
This vineyard, located south of the town of Nuits, is not well-known, but I’ve always found good wine from it. The wine shows dark plum fruit, good density and precision, and a smooth texture. 50% whole clusters. (91-95)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes
The Chaumes is denser than the foregoing and deep, ripe, and pure with dark plum and berry fruits. 50% whole clusters. (92-95)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Corvées Pagets
This wine shows the firmness typical of Prémeaux with redder fruit than in the Chaumes, good minerality, and very good purity. 100% whole clusters. (91-95)
2016 Échézeaux
Loss here was 50% of a normal crop. The wine shows mineral dark fruit with the sensuality of Échézeaux. The texture is smooth and the wine is long in the mouth. 100% whole clusters. (92-96)
2016 Latricières-Chambertin
The Latricières-Chambertin is mineral and pure with cranberry flavors, and tension and energy. There is good length in the mouth. Latricières tends to be an overlooked grand cru, but I think that it is capable of outstanding quality, as here. (93-96)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots
The Suchots has floral Vonse stink aromas. The mouth is dense and elegant with dark fruit and good length. There are some tannins here and more power than in the previous wines, but this is also more closed than the previous wines. (93-97)
2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots
Floral aromas here are followed by a mouth that is pure, ethereal, and spherical — one very clearly sees the relationship of this vineyard/wine to La Romanée immediately below and to Romanée-Conti, just below La Romanée. There are red fruits in the mouth that are fresh and pure. (94-97)
2016 Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Usually there are six barrels of this wine, but with the frost in 2016, there are but 2-1/2. What a pity. This wine is round, pure, and deep with dark fruits and more density than the Reignots, plus the full sensuality of texture of Romanée-Saint-Vivant. (95-98)