More tastings of the 2016s – exiting and delightful

A very busy week with plenty of tastings – covering a large part of Burgundy.

From Morey to Santenay in just the last days – meeting a lot of nice people making wines with love and talent. I’m always surprised how many new and fine estates one can find just scratching the surface.

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair

A restate of most of the lineup form Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair – including a few missing at the tasting in June 2017. The Clos de Vougeot now ready to taste – it takes quite som time to show. Like other Clos de Vougeots it offers lovely balance and a beautiful fresness confirming that Clos de Vougeot is doing very well indeed in this vintage.

I’m therefore very exited to taste the wines for Chateau de la Tour tonight – expentations are high. The rest of the Liger-Belair portfolio are showing very fine form with quite some top end wines.

Domaine Arnaud Ente

My first visit at this excellent estate – and what a treat. Gorgeous 2016s – pure, vibrant and crystal clear – such refined wines. Arnaud Ente is a man of detail and focus – this is pretty clear when visiting the estate – a very classy tasting room – with a view to the chai – impressive.

The 2016s offer all the qualities one could wish and hope for, perhaps not quite matching the 2014s here – but not far from, with a cool and energetic style – magnificent wines.

Maison Philippe Pacalet

Philippe Pacalet was quite badly hit by the frost – and the number of casks not at the usual level in 2016s. Wines showing beautifully – with the good intensity of the vintage being a perfect match for the light and floral style of Pacalet.

The 2016 here are indeed juicy and energetic wines. Some new wines from the Aloxe-Corton appellation showing very well – one see more and more producers embrace Corton and the surrounding vineyards.

Domaine Rougeot – Meursault

Let face it – I have been terribly slow with my review of the 2015 whites from Domaine Rougeot. They are indeed lovely wines – as they dicided a long elevage for the bigger whites – after a quick bottling of the generic Bourgogne. The long elevage have given a more firm grip, and a fresh reductive grape note in the bigger wines – excellent focus for the vintage.

In 2016 Domaine Rougeot is doing the vinification without sulphur – and even some wines bottled without sulphur. This is a very exiting estate to visit – very innovative and nice people at Domaine Rougeot.

Domaine Dujac 2015 vs 2016

Jeremy Seysses had greated a lovely tasting of the 2016s and most of the 2015s from the house. The 2016s here are fresh and vibrant – and a good match for the also intense and generous 2015s. An excellent opportunity to match the two vintages – and while it was very serious work – I do not have a simple answer to the 2016 vs 2015 dilemma.

I will get back to this in the tasting notes – but seen here just after the tasting it’s a fairly close race to be honest – also closer than expected I think.

Highlights were the opportunity to taste the Romanée Saint-Vivant and Chambertin 2016 taking the Dujac quality to new levels.

I have a few more tastings to report from – Chantereves, Mugeneret-Gibourg, Jean-Marc Vincent and Bernard Van Berg. But they will have to wait for the last tastings – Domaine de la Tour, Domaine Dublere, Domaine Groffier and Domaine Trapet.