Bertrand Chevillon said that losses due to the frost were from 50-80% of a normal crop. Even on the Bousselots and Chaignots on the Vosne slope of Nuits suffered losses. As with most producers I visited, there is at least one wine not made in 2016 — here the Chardonnay.
Harvesting took place between 24 September and 3 October. As is always the case here, all grapes were destemmed. Malolactic fermentations were very late for the estate: the village Nuits finished in February, but the others in June. Bottling will be in April, the usual time here.
The fruit here is ripe, almost syrupy, but without sacrificing freshness or purity.
Those lucky enough to obtain some of the wine will find that as usual, the quality here is superb.
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges vieilles vignes
The pretty nose shows stony red fruits. The mouth has strawberry and red cherry fruit that is clear and very pure. Overall the wine is light on the palate and fresh. (89-92)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots
Here, the nose has spiced dark fruits. They continue in the mouth with purity, good concentration, and freshness. The wine admirably displays the outstanding Chaignots terroir. (92-95)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Bousselots
The Bousselots features a nose of dark cherries. The mouth shows structure and power and darker fruit than the Chaignots. But on this day, the Bousselots is also less advanced. There’s muscle here, but also the finesse one finds in Chevillon’s wines. (91-95)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Roncières
The nose of the Roncières is perfumed. The mouth is smooth and rich with dark fruits that are clear and long. The tannins are quite fine. (91-95)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Perrières
For the Perrières, the nose is characteristically stony with a bit of spice. The mouth shows more structure than the Roncières with good energy for the vintage, length, depth, and tension. The fruits are dark and there is minerality here. (92-96)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
Chevillon’s Pruliers has dark fruits, depth, and some tannic structure to go with great length in the mouth and some spice. It’s an outstanding expression of Pruliers terroir. (93-96)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Cailles
The Cailles features intense, ripe dark berry fruit. The wine is elegant, round, sensual, and long. It is a beautiful example of Cailles terroir. (93-97)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges
Chevillon’s Les Saint Georges is stony in the nose. The mouth is round and sensual, although not as much as the Cailles. The creaminess of the vineyard is here and beneath the fruit are plenty of tannins to support substantial aging. (93-97)
2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains
The Vaucrains features spicy dark fruits. As one would expect, it is harder and firmer than the other wines. The wine is very intense and penetrating. In short, it is a classic Vaucrains. (94-97)