Vinous - Neal Martin (96)

The first bottle of 2016 Doisy-Daëne was corked. The second is clean and precise on the nose, offering honeycomb, lanolin, crushed rocks and light yellow flower aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced, and a fine bead of acidity cuts through the intense botrytized fruit. Very harmonious and poised, with impressive intensity on the finish. This is a marvelous Sauternes. Excellent. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which comes from a high-density planting of 30-year-old vines located west and south of the town of Léognan. A blend of 75% Sauvignon and 25% Sémillon raised in 35% new barrels, it offers a massive bouquet of crushed citrus, salty minerality, white flowers, and grapefruit. Racy, full-bodied, concentrated and beautifully textured, it’s a brilliant wine that has more flesh and texture than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more. Hats off to the team at Domaine de Chevalier for this brilliant, brilliant white!

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, which comes from a high-density planting of 30-year-old vines located west and south of the town of Léognan. A blend of 75% Sauvignon and 25% Sémillon raised in 35% new barrels, it offers a massive bouquet of crushed citrus, salty minerality, white flowers, and grapefruit. Racy, full-bodied, concentrated and beautifully textured, it’s a brilliant wine that has more flesh and texture than the 2015 and will keep for two decades or more. Hats off to the team at Domaine de Chevalier for this brilliant, brilliant white!

Vinous (95)

(two barrels produced, vs. a normal eight): Bright, pale yellow. Vibrant aromas of lemon gelato and wild herbs. Very complex, pure and refined, boasting an utterly silky, seamless texture to its intense citrus peel, fresh herb and mineral flavors. Really outstanding inner-mouth energy here, followed by a slowly mounting finish that saturates the taste buds. A great wine in the making, but not for drinking anytime soon. (I found the 2017 version a bit juicier and fruitier, and there will be ten barrels of the younger vintage as the crop level was generous.) According to winemaker Frédéric Barnier, 2017 has more sweetness as a vintage, but while the '17 Chevalier-Montrachet is round, opulent and tasty, the '16 is extremely pure, fresh and linear, and will expand with time in the cellar. But even today it's silky, tactile, edge-free and extremely long.

Showcasing exemplary winemaking from Jura, France is the Domaine des Miroirs Sonorite du Vent 2016. Created by avant-garde winemaker Kenjiro Kagami, an ardent follower of the Biodynamic principle, the wine is crafted exclusively from the magnificent Savagnin grape. The hand-picked fruits are cultivated in vineyards located in L'Étoile and undergo wild yeast fermentation, cementing its authenticity. The ageing process in old Burgundy barrels over 30 months instils a defining complexity into the wine.

This transcendent wine mirrors its land of origin, revealing flavours of ripe fruits, crisp almonds, and rich spices. With a delicate buttery finish, the Domaine des Miroirs Sonorite du Vent 2016 bears testament to Kagami’s artisanal finesse and reverence for nature. A captivating, profound, and mineral-laden wine, it adds a dash of sophistication to any fine dining experience and is a bonafide delight for any discerning connoisseur.

Vinous (90)

Bright light yellow. Ripe yellow stone fruits are complicated by apple and pear, with a spicy note emerging with aeration. Supple and quite dry, combining a hint of green apple and salty minerality. Much less about primary fruit than the nose suggests, and even a touch sour today and in need of patience. A more classic style than the Meursault Charmes, but not quite as pristine as a sample I tried from barrel a year ago.

Vinous (92)

The 2016 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is taut and fresh, showing more vigour and mineralité compared to its showing in bottle last year. The palate is well balanced with good depth, a little creaminess coming through towards the finish with touches of orange zest and dried apricot developing. This has caught up with the Folatières since it lagged behind when tasted from vat. Tasted at Flint Wines Domaine Dujac tasting in London.

Vinous (98)

The 2016 Sancerre Clos La Néore is almost Riesling-like in its firm yet fine personality, its unswerving purity and its clear translation of place. Don't expect a seductive Sancerre, this is dry and steely with an appealing bitterness making for a very grown up white wine. It's starting to show early signs of development in its light almond/lanolin character alongside lemon tea. It offers exceptional concentration while being light bodied and provides a steely core of acidity, keeping the wine together and powering on. If you have any in your cellar, I can make myself available for dinner.

Vinous (98)

The 2016 Sancerre Clos La Néore is almost Riesling-like in its firm yet fine personality, its unswerving purity and its clear translation of place. Don't expect a seductive Sancerre, this is dry and steely with an appealing bitterness making for a very grown up white wine. It's starting to show early signs of development in its light almond/lanolin character alongside lemon tea. It offers exceptional concentration while being light bodied and provides a steely core of acidity, keeping the wine together and powering on. If you have any in your cellar, I can make myself available for dinner.

Vinous (89-91)

Subtle aromas of white peach, apple, spices and leesy hazelnut. Silkier and more elegant than the Hameau de Blagny, offering a lighter touch and more nervosité. A floral element adds lift. Finishes smooth and long, with subtle fruit intensity and very good cut.

Wine Advocate (91-93)

The 2016 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières did not quite display the panache of the enticing Les Referts, though it is redeemed by a subtle touch of aniseed, a leitmotif among several other whites within the Côte de Beaune. The palate is very well balanced with a fine thread of acidity, crisp and taut, perhaps less showy and complex than the Les Referts, although there is plenty of freshness on the finish. If you want a strict, no-frills, straight-onto-the-fairway Puligny, this is where to come.

Vinous (88)

Pale, slightly green-tinged color. Moderately ripe nose suggests menthol and white pepper, plus an herbal element. Offers good texture and a touch of sweetness but not the purity of the better '16s at this address. With its juxtaposition of a marzipan hint and underlying minerality, this village wine comes across as a bit disjointed in the early going.

Vinous (89+)

(from four different plantings, ranging in age from about 20 to 50 years): Reticent minerally nose. Juicy, tight and aromatic, but a bit linear and austere, conveying a stronger impression of acidity but only modest body. This very dry, slightly saline wine stands out more for its inner-mouth tension than for its flesh and will need a few years in bottle to fill out. Jobard produced 11 barrels, vs. a normal 15 to 17, which he described as not bad for the vintage. He told me that his vines at the top of the vineyard near the forest were hit hard by the frost, which is very unusual here.

The Genot Boulanger Meursault Meix Chavaux 2016 is a carefully crafted Burgundy, born out of the respected French wine-making region of Meursault. This exceptional white wine emanates from the family-owned estate, Genot-Boulanger, known for their devotion to expressing the terroir through diligent wine-making traditions. The 2016 vintage shows the winemaker's expertise in dealing with an unpredictable year, brilliantly capturing the character of the Chardonnay grape.

This wine is biodynamically farmed, handpicked, and masterfully aged in oak barrels, revealing an enticing balance of minerality and creaminess, with a vivid citrus finish. The nose is abundant with yellow fruits, white flowers and subtle hints of caramel. On the palate, the Genot Boulanger Meursault Meix Chavaux 2016 is intriguingly layered, full-bodied, and boasts long, sophisticated finishes. It's not only a testament to the purity of the Meursault Meix Chavaux vineyard, but also a celebration of the mastery of Genot-Boulanger's winemaking genius.

Vinous (93)

(one-third new oak) Pale green-hued gold. Powerful, mineral-tinged orchard fruit, melon and floral aromas are sharpened by notes of ginger and lemon zest. Concentrated pear, Meyer lemon and violet pastille flavors show a suave blend of richness and delicacy thanks to a spine of juicy acidity and a chalky mineral nuance. Closes minerally, taut and quite long, leaving a sexy floral note behind.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

While no red Ex Voto was made in 2016, the 2016 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc is brilliant, offering classic, powerful notes of Asian spices, toasted bread, acacia flowers, and crushed rocks as well as tons of quince and stone fruit notes. This beauty is full-bodied, multi-dimensional, and already impossible to resist. It’s going to evolve for 20-25 years or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (97)

While no red Ex Voto was made in 2016, the 2016 Ermitage Ex Voto Blanc is brilliant, offering classic, powerful notes of Asian spices, toasted bread, acacia flowers, and crushed rocks as well as tons of quince and stone fruit notes. This beauty is full-bodied, multi-dimensional, and already impossible to resist. It’s going to evolve for 20-25 years or more.

The Guy Amiot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Demoiselles 2016 is a true exemplification of French winemaking at its finespun. Nestled in the renowned vineyards of Puligny-Montrachet, France, this exquisite wine is skillfully crafted by Guy Amiot et Fils, a vintner esteemed for its exceptional dedication to Burgundy viticulture since 1920. Using 100% Chardonnay grapes, this hand-harvested, fermented and aged in oak wine delivers a delicate equilibrium of intensity and grace.

Radiating notes of citrus, white flowers, and minerality, the complexity of flavours coupled with zesty yet profound acidity offers a stimulated palate and a persistent finish. This remarkable 2016 vintage bespeaks of an exceptional wine-growing period, allowing nuanced harmony between maturation and freshness. So, if you seek an invincible expression of grand French white wine, reach for the Guy Amiot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Demoiselles 2016.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Haut Brion Blanc, a Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes just under 30% Sémillon. Amazingly deep and rich, yet vibrant at the same time, it offers an exotic, liquid rock-like minerality as well as notes of citrus zest, crushed limes, and white flowers. It’s unquestionably one of the most concentrated, powerful wines out there, yet it still just glides across the palate with flawless integration of its fruit and acidity. It needs short-term cellaring and will keep for 20-30 years if you’re so inclined.

Jeb Dunnuck (99)

The white of the vintage is the 2016 Haut Brion Blanc, a Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes just under 30% Sémillon. Amazingly deep and rich, yet vibrant at the same time, it offers an exotic, liquid rock-like minerality as well as notes of citrus zest, crushed limes, and white flowers. It’s unquestionably one of the most concentrated, powerful wines out there, yet it still just glides across the palate with flawless integration of its fruit and acidity. It needs short-term cellaring and will keep for 20-30 years if you’re so inclined.

Vinous (95)

Compared to the premier crus at this address, this wine offers another dimension on the nose, with aromas of pear, white flowers, almond and hazelnut complemented by deeper-pitched soil tones and a hint of dried fruits. Hugely rich but surprisingly energetic on the palate, conveying seamless flavors of yellow and dried fruits and salty minerality. Totally saturates the mouth and mounts on the back end without leaving any impression of heaviness. Boillot told me that the 2017 version of this wine is a bit higher in acidity but this bottle boasts excellent verve.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (94-96)

Pale primrose, oak and ripe fruit to the nose. Intense concentration here, lively fruit, crystalline notes, lively orange blossom, very high quality. This also needs much longer elevage to show its paces but the quality is already apparent.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96)

Pale lemon. Excellent weight of fruit on the nose which shows significant promise. White stone fruit and a few plums at the edges. With a very refreshing gunflint reductive minerality. This is very Corton-Charlemagne. Tasted: May 2019.

Burghound (96)

A highly restrained nose requires considerable swirling to liberate the beautifully well-layered aromas of mineral reduction, white rose, spice, citrus and a wisp of exotic tea. Like the Pucelles there is excellent richness and detail and much more minerality-suffusing the almost painfully intense finale that is breathtaking in its persistence. This is a gem of a Puligny 1er and in 2016 is a lovely blend of power and finesse. In sum, this is a knockout.

Wine Advocate (90)

The 2016 Viré-Clessé wafts from the glass with notes of musky peach and dried white flowers, framed by sublet reduction. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, tense and racy, with good depth at the core and an attractive sense of completeness. It will need some time in the cellar to unwind after bottling, but it's an elegant, vibrant interpretation of the appellation that ranks as one of Lafon's best cuvées this year.