Burgundy 2016 En Primeur

Transcription

1 Burgundy 2016 En Primeur

2 Burgundy 2016 En Primeur The Vintage In 2016, once again, Burgundy was saved by very fine weather towards the latter part of the growing season and during picking has resulted in some excellent red Burgundies and many exceptional whites, showing a rich ripeness and elegant structure but with wonderful freshness. Whilst comparisons with previous vintages is tempting, attempting to do so with 2016 is tricky as the styles are so variable across Burgundy; the most oft-used descriptor is classic. Following what was the mildest winter since 2010, April was abnormally cold. However, the night of 26th/27th April saw the most devastating frost since 1985 in the Côte d Or and 1981 in Chablis which decimated the newlyemerged buds. Usually it is the lower slopes (village and regional vineyards) which are most severely affected. However, unaccountably, the 2016 frosts attacked the mid slopes which house the finest premier and grand cru sites. The worst hit areas were Marsannay and Chambolle (both significantly), Clos de Vougeot, Echezeaux, Nuits- Saint-Georges (severely), Savigny-les-Beaune, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Chassagne-Montrachet (major impact), Meursault (especially village AOC), St Aubin and Rully. Hail also had a major impact on 13th April around vineyards of Pouilly Fuissé. Far more encouragingly, July was pleasant and largely warm, sometimes hot, and with some infrequent rain. August was moderately hot, dry and very sunny. This had the effect of sanitizing the vineyards and any further threat of mildew and oidium receded. The beautiful, clement days were accompanied by cool nights which preserved acidity and freshness. September continued in the same vein with bright, sunny, warm days and chilly nights. There was also some very welcome, occasional drizzle, which alleviated any possible hydric stress resulting from the dry August weather. The reds are, at once, sensual, seductive and ripe (especially where yields were curtailed by frost), but offer delightful purity and definition. Due to the stylistic variability across the region it is not a simple task to describe the 2016 whites generally as there are many that exhibit wonderful rich texture and others that are lean and poised. The majority of the reds have a characteristic freshness but otherwise, as with the whites, they defy easy categorisation. One generalisation that can be made is the producers we deal with have made some very beautiful wines and due to the very low yields most are only available in exceptionally limited quantities. All wines are offered whilst remaining unsold and are subject to allocations being confirmed. Prices are per case under bond excluding duty and vat. The majority of the wines are due to be shipped to the UK by Autumn 2018 at which point they can be delivered duty paid on payment of the duty and vat, transferred under bond, or we can store under bond for 9.50 per 12 per year. Onward delivery from our bond will be charged at cost, where applicable. Shane Dunning shane@woodwinters.com

3 Domaine Marc Roy Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin Alexandrine Roy represents the fourth generation of growers in Gevrey and took over from her father, Marc, in She owns and works, almost single handedly, 3.5 hectares in Gevrey-Chambertin and 0.5 hectares in Marsannay. Whilst her holdings exclusively comprise villages sites, the resulting wines taste as though they originate from premier or even grand cru vineyards. Alexandrine works with low yielding old vines, rigorous selection, 100% destems and indigenous yeasts. Extractions are very gentle and use of new oak judicial. Bourgogne Rouge Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Gevrey Chambertin Clos Prieur Domaine Digioia-Royer Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny Just 6 barrels made this year, versus a normal 10. The nose displays lovely brambly and floral Chambolle fruit, whilst the palate has a wonderful harmony of soft, sweet fruit and racy acidity. Chambolle-Musigny les Fremieres Vieilles Vignes Domaine Michel Gros, Vosne Romanée Côte de Nuits, Vosne Romanée Excellent wines from Michel Gros in 2016, wonderful depth of colour, fruit and richness at all levels. The Bourgogne Rouge is cracking value. As ever the Vosnes are in big demand and very short supply, but even more so in this vintage of reduced volumes. Bourgogne Rouge Vosne Romanée Chambolle Musigny Nuits Saint Georges Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Clos des Réas - Monopole

4 Domaine Rene Cacheux Côte de Nuits, Vosne Romanée A new Domaine for us and one we are really pleased to have found. Based in Vosne Gerald Cacheux is fortunate to own great plots within Vosne and Chambolle, including the exceptional Premier Crus of Beaux Monts and Suchots which have produced wonderful fragrant Vosnes in Bourgogne Rouge Chambolle-Musigny Vosne Romanée Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Beaux Monts Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Suchots Domaine Jean Chauvenet Côte de Nuits, Nuits- St Georges Overall Christophe has made around 35% less wine than in a normal vintage. The Bousselots is remarkably elegant despite its location in the south of the appellation. There is however a deep colour and spicy black fruit character which give away the origin. Textbook Nuits. The Poulettes has an abundance of sweet, black fruit as a result, almost an over ripeness but perfectly balanced by a lovely thread of acidity which emerges at the finish. Juicy and supple with just a touch of limestone chalky tannin. Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru les Bousselots Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru les Poulettes Domaine Michèle & Patrice Rion Côte de Nuits, Prémeaux With most of their vineyard holdings in Nuits and Chambolle, Rion was particularly badly hit by the frost and quantities are exceptionally small as a result. The Chambolle Cras is beautiful creamy, rich and lush in texture, strawberry and bilberry fruits. The Charmes vines were planted just after the war. Plenty of Chambolle silk and seduction here, caressingly soft with a rounded coulis of red fruit and a lovely, reassuring length. The finish is open and accessible, yet again showing the charm and understated potential of this vintage. No new oak for the NSG 1er Crus. The vintage character is coming through; lots of freshness and bright red fruit, and a sense of delicacy across the palate. Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits les Dames Huguettes Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Clos des Argillieres Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru les Charmes

5 Benjamin Leroux Côte de Beaune, Beaune Ben is a big fan of his 2016s, praising the tension of the whites and the beautiful quality of the Pinot fruit, which allowed him to generally use more whole bunches than in The Meursault has a gorgeous nose of oatmeal and peaches which leads into a dense and concentrated palate, perfectly seasoned with a dash of toasty oak. The Gevrey-Chambertin is becoming somewhat totemic for Ben, raised mostly in a beautiful 35hl foudre which Ben feels gives the wine more elegance, finesse and precision than traditional 228-litre barrels. With gorgeous, sweet red cherry fruit, a charming softness and supple tannins. His Vosne has a good proportion of whole bunches have been used here, and they provide a lovely floral lift to the silky strawberry and redcurrant fruit. Simply very Vosne. Whites Meursault Chassagne-Montrachet Blanc 1er Cru, Les Baudines Reds Gevrey-Chambertin Morey-St-Denis Vosne-Romanée Volnay 1er Cru les Mitans Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru la Perriere Domaine Sebastien Magnien Côte de Beaune, Beaune Sebastian s Saint-Romain, planted in 1950, is on a steep, south-facing slope rich in limestone and shows a mixture of ripe fruit and refreshing, energetic acidity and minerality. The one new barrel (out of six) blends seamlessly into the wine. The Beaune Aigrots parcel is located just next to Clos des Mouches and the sector that is planted to Chardonnay is high on the slope with concentrated quite rich fruit. Sebastian only made 2 barrels from his tiny parcel of Puligny Folatières vines; lovely finesse, elegance and a gorgeous, stony minerality, wrapped up in just the right amount of oak. Saint-Romain Sous la Château Beaune 1er Cru les Aigrots Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru les Folatières Pommard les Perrières Domaine Comte Armand Côte de Beaune, Pommard Paul Zinetti considers the 2016s to be as good as his 2010s. The Wine Advocate says of the Clos de Epeneaux, This has enormous potential and may challenge the supremacy of the 2015, high praise indeed. Bourgogne Aligoté Auxey Duresses Rouge 1er Cru Pommard 1er Clos des Epeneaux

6 Vincent Girardin Côte de Beaune, Meursault The expert team, under the direction of long-standing winemaker Eric Germain, continues to make an exemplary range of Burgundies - 75% white, 25% red. In 2016 frosts accounted for 50% of their production on the lower slopes but the crus were less affected. Eric likens 2016 to 2014 but with additional suppleness, softness and generosity. Whites Bourgogne Blanc Pernand Vergelesses Blanc Vieilles Vignes Santenay Vieilles Vignes Meursault Village Vieilles Vignes Meursault Les Narvaux Meursault 1er Cru Charmes Dessus Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gains Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru les Referts Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru les Combettes Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Bienvenues Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 6 1, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 6 1, Reds Bourgogne Rouge Terroir Noble Santenay Vieilles Vignes Volnay Vieilles Vignes Pommard Vieilles Vignes Pommard 1er Cru les Epenots Château de Puligny-Montrachet Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet The Clos du Château is a 5-hectare walled vineyard, despite the vines being up to 80 years old the vineyard used to be an orchard so cannot claim Puligny village status but produces baby Puligny quality at a fantastic price. The Saint-Aubin is exceptional, benefiting from a great site immediately behind Le Montrachet. All 3 Pulignys are wonderful wines in 2016, each showing a minerality and refinement layered with textural richness. Bourgogne Blanc Le Clos du Château Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Puligny-Montrachet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru les Chalumeaux Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru les Folatières

7 Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet Exceptional white wines as always from Domaine Pillot, however quantities are very limited. The reds are lovely with the two Pommards being especially stand-out. Whites Chassagne-Montrachet Puligy-Montrachet Noyers Brets Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vergers Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Champgains Reds Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes Volnay Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes Pommard Tavannes Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens Domaine Philippe Colin Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet Tiny quantities available of these lovely wines; Philippe was especially badly hit by the frost and lost 50% down on the white wines. The Bourgogne Blanc fruit comes mainly from the Chassagne commune and is very good indeed as a result. Bourgogne Chardonnay Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru les Chaumées Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru en Remilly Domaine Paul & Marie Jacqueson Châlonnais, Rully Father and daughter, Paul and Marie have now moved to impressive new cellars in the heart of the village. This has given them more room in which to work and the investment is already paying dividends. Their wines are great favourites in the finest Michelin starred restaurants of France offering, as they do, a taste of the Côte d Or at a fraction of the price. They were severely impacted by the frosts of 27th April and volumes are around 50% down as a result. These are exceptional wines, its just a shame there is not more to go around. Bourgogne Aligoté Rully Blanc 1er Cru la Pucelle Rully Blanc 1er Cru les Margotés Rully Rouge 1er Cru les Cloux Mercurey Rouge 1er Cru Champ Martin

8 Eric Forest Mâconnais, Vergisson Eric is making some of the most profound and exciting wines in the Mâconnais. His 5.5 hectares of vines were planted between 1930 and Lovely purity of fruit in both wines with classical terroir characters to the fore. There is more new oak in the Fuissé. Macon-Vergisson Sur la Roche Pouilly-Fumé L Ame Forest Olivier Merlin Mâconnais, La Roche-Vineuse For a pure unoaked expression of Burgundian Chardonnay Merlin s Roche Vineuse is very hard to beat. The V.V. sees about 15% new oak which adds complexity and concentration. The small yield in 2016 has made for increased texture and depth in the Sur la Roche. Macon La Roche Vineuse Macon La Roche Vineuse Vieille Vignes Pouilly-Fuissé Sur la Roche Héritiers du Comte Lafon Mâconnais, Milly Lamartine Fortunately for Lafon the frost did not extend this far south. Coming from a 1 hectare parcel the Macon Prissé is limited; it is wonderfully fruity and ripe and a lot of fun. The Clos de la Crochette is from a 2.6ha south facing walled vineyard and is big, full-flavoured and delicious as a result; this is a cracking wine. Macon-Prissé Macon Milly-Lamartine Macon Chardonnay Clos de la Crochette Prices are per case under bond, ex London City Bond, Tilbury. Delivery to the UK will be made in the Autumn 2018 Onward delivery either under bond or duty paid will be charged at cost All wines are offered whilst remaining unsold. Orders are only confirmed with full payment of invoice.