As promised, today we take another look at the 2016 Burgundy vintage, which is now on the cusp of general release. This tasting considers the 2016 wines of Bouchard Pere & Fils and William Fevre (which produces only Chablis), with a couple of older bottlings thrown in for comparison’s sake.

As with our prior Wildman coverage, again we see the appearance of some gems, despite some tough growing conditions that William Fevre winemaker Didier Seguier says led to grape yields running just one third of normal.

Thoughts follow.

Bouchard Pere & Fils reds

2014 Bouchard Pere & Fils Cote de Beaune-Villages – fresh and lively, engaging. A-
2015 Bouchard Pere & Fils Fleurie – meaty, anise notes are overwhelming. B
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Santenay – heavy, a little undercooked. B-
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Savigny-les-Beaune – some oxidized notes, a bit green. B
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Pommard – a licorice kick here, quite dry. B+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges – quite volatile; fruit is dialed back, a little gamy. B
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Vosne-Romanee – heavy with earth, very pastoral. B+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chambolle-Musigny – underdeveloped. B
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin – complex, almost silky; showing well-integrated earth. A
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Savigny-les-Beaune Les Lavieres Premier Cru – hints of menthol, but some flab on the muddy body. B
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Clos de la Mousse Premier Cru – a bright berry note, slight chocolate influence. A
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Volnay Les Caillerets Premier Cru – peppery, nice bite; lengthy fruit. A
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Pommard Premier Cru – a little green; bold acidity. B+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus Premier Cru – licorice notes, dark chocolate, cassis; very Jesusy. B+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Volnay Taille Pieds Premier Cru – very jam heavy, almost over extracted. B+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Le Corton Grand Cru – soulful, after an initial rush of fruit fades, it resolves into lush chocolate and baking spice notes; epic finish. A
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles Premier Cru – a boldly spicy character pops on the palate, mint, big strawberry on the chew finish. A+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru – peppery and racy, spices linger with some bbq smoke; complex and rich. A

Bouchard Pere & Fils whites

1990 Bouchard Pere & Fils Montrachet – showing some oxidation and age, notes of lemon curd and spice, a racy finish; still lively. A-
2015 Bouchard Pere & Fils Pouilly-Fuisse – lemony, some fig and spice notes. A-
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Les Clous – bright and briny, with big acid. B+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Puligny-Montrachet – a touch of meatiness, solid fruit core. A
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chassagne-Montrachet – bright and fresh, lively. A-
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune Clos Saint-Landry Premier Cru – restrained, a little quiet. B+
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Genevrieres Premier Cru – bright melon, spice notes. A-
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault Perrieres Premier Cru – similar, but with some white pepper and lemon rind notes. A-
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru – bold and almost pushy, gentle meat and nut notes; chewy figs. A-
2016 Bouchard Pere & Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru – lovely but restrained, with melon rind, and some chewy, almost gamy, meaty notes. B+

William Fevre whites

2016 William Fevre Chablis Montmains Premier Cru – green, grassy. B+
2016 William Fevre Chablis Vaillons Premier Cru – bolder, with some chewier, meaty notes. B+
2016 William Fevre Chablis Montee de Tonnerre Premier Cru – bold, expressive; has a chewiness to it. B+
2016 William Fevre Chablis Fourchaume Premier Cru – a distinct tropical note here; brilliant fruit. A-
2016 William Fevre Chablis Bougros Grand Cru – some restraint here; a bit of bacon. B+
2016 William Fevre Chablis Bougros “Cote Bouguerots” Grand Cru – surprisingly different; a taste of brine and mineral, some spice. A
2016 William Fevre Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru – bold body, some meatiness; briny finish. B+
2016 William Fevre Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru – classic grand cru Chablis, bold fruit with a lemon kick. A