Tasting Report: 2016 Burgundy, Part 1
Frederick Wildman has one of the most discriminating and complete portfolios of imported wine, so when Wildman throws an event showcasing its impending release of Burgundy — a wine for which the company is particularly known — one goes to the event.
2016 was considered a very difficult growing year, with many producers bottling fewer wines than usual or simply sitting it out. That said, the producers that did manage to work through it clearly figured out how to work with this fruit. In fact, in this tasting of 2016 Burgundy wines, both red and white, rarely have I encountered more gems collected in a single room. Every producer seemed to have something truly dazzling on the table… and some producers had nothing but exceptional wines on offer.
Snapshots of each wine tasted and spot ratings follow. (And more 2016 Burgundy reports coming soon…)
Complete Report: 2016 Burgundy
2016 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis “Tête d’Or” – bright peaches, melon, grapefruit notes. A-
2016 Domaine Billaud-Simon Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru – adds in notes of white pepper. A
2016 Domaine Billaud-Simon Vaudésir Grand Cru – very fresh, some floral notes. A
2016 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes – amazing density, with spice and cocoa notes. A-
2016 Domaine Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin “Les Cazetiers” 1er Cru – beautiful, with notes of violets and mixed florals. A
2016 Domaine Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Damodes” 1er Cru – punchy, with striking berry notes, some gunpowder. A-
2016 Domaine Faiveley Corton “Clos des Cortons Faiveley” (monopole) Grand Cru – surprisingly restrained, silky earth and some tobacco notes. A-
2016 Domaine Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru – gorgeous, floral with berries and spices in equal proportion. A
2016 Domaine Faiveley Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru – a significant density here, bursting with cherry notes. A
2016 Olivier Leflaive Frères Meursault AC – notes of apple, denser with some beefiness to it. B+
2016 Olivier Leflaive Frères Puligny-Montrachet “Les Folatieres” 1er Cru – toasty, some bacon notes. B+
2016 Olivier Leflaive Frères Puligny-Montrachet “Les Folatières” (Domaine) 1er Cru – very tropical, boldly fruity. A
2016 Olivier Leflaive Frères Bâtard-Montrachet (Domaine) Grand Cru – beautifully balanced with fruit, florals, and spice notes. A+
2016 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis “Vaillon” 1er Cru * – slightly over-acidic. B+
2016 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis “Valmur” Grand Cru – great balance, with a lengthy floral finish, strong tropical notes. A
2016 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis “Vaudesir” Grand Cru – denser, with a slight nuttiness, bold peaches. A-
2016 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis “Les Clos”, “Clos des Hospices dans les Clos” Grand Cru – veers a bit toward meaty notes, but lovely and chewy. A-
2016 Domaine Jacques Prieur Meursault “Clos de Mazeray” Blanc (Monopole) Single Vineyard – bold and a bit funky, lemongrass notes. B+
2016 Domaine Jacques Prieur Meursault “Santenots” 1er Cru – similar to the Meursault. B+
2016 Domaine Jacques Prieur Puligny-Montrachet “Les Combettes” 1er Cru – intense, with a meaty edge. B+
2016 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune “Champs-Pimont” Rouge 1er Cru – very dense, peppery, undercooked. C
2016 Domaine Jacques Prieur Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru – surprising tannins, spicy. B
2016 Domaine Jacques Prieur Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru – toasty, woody edge. B+
