Jeb Dunnuck (96)

I was able to taste the 2016 Château Beychevelle on two occasions, and it showed beautifully both times. This is also the first vintage made in the new cellar. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly seamless and elegant on the palate, yet beautifully concentrated, it offers a heavenly perfume of spring flowers, violets, saddle leather, and blueberry and cassis fruit. A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc, brought up in 50% new oak, it’s still tight, taunt, and reserved on the palate, yet has the hallmark purity of fruit and balance of the vintage front and center. Hide bottles for 4-6 years, and it will keep for 25+ years or more.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2016 Bibian has a tightly-wound bouquet that demands more coaxing than its peers, eventually revealing pure blackberries, raspberry, cedar and light mint aromas. The oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure and polished with some classy new oak assiduously blended. This is a classy offering and one of the best Cru Bourgeois that I have tasted this vintage. Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in London.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2016 Echézeaux Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, dark chocolate, bay leaf, spices and peonies. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and immensely concentrated, with satiny, almost melting tannins but such searing intensity and savory nuance that once again the word "pungent" comes to mind, concluding with a fine-grained, mineral finish. It's the most reserved wine in the range and will demand more patience, but its singular style makes it very compelling indeed.

Exuding elegance and finesse, the Bizot Marsannay Clos du Roy Rouge 2016 is a fine Burgundy red wine gem. Expertly crafted by renowned winemaker, Jean-Yves Bizot, in his hillside Marsannay vineyards, it possesses qualities particularly characteristic of this unique terroir. A mid-slope plot, the Clos du Roy encompasses some of the oldest vines in the estate, deeply rooted in the region's marl and limestone soil. The 2016 vintage, rendered exceptional by low yields and perfect ripeness, exudes a rich complexity on the palate.

The harmonious blend of red and black fruits is elegantly lifted by underlying hints of earthy spice, boasting a persistent and beautifully structured finish. Arriving from a producer lauded for his meticulous, low-intervention approach, the Bizot Marsannay Clos du Roy Rouge 2016 is a celebration of premium French viticulture.

Wine Advocate (91)

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée Village wafts from the glass with aromas of exotic spices, blood orange, cherries and peonies. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and intensely concentrated, with a sapid and almost pungently intense core of fruit, succulent acids and melting tannins, concluding with a long, savory finish. The wine's energy and integration mark it out as, if anything, a longer-term prospect than the 2015 vintage, though time will tell.

Vinous (92)

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée Les Jachées has a really quite gorgeous bouquet with wonderful definition: pure, quite mineral-rich red fruit probably more in line with a Premier Cru. The palate is very well balanced with a silky smooth texture and a shimmering, vivacious finish that might lack depth and grip, but has a disarming effortless nature about it. Superb for a mere Village Cru.

The Bizot Vosne-Romanee Les Reas 2016 hails from the esteemed vineyards of Vosne-Romanee, nestled within France's renowned Burgundy region. Impeccably cultivated by the meticulous hands of Jean-Yves Bizot, a master in organic viticulture, this wine announces itself as a premier Burgundy Pinot Noir. Bizot's aptitude for minimalistic winemaking is reflected most exquisitely in the balanced integration of the wine’s 13% alcohol volume.

The vintage’s wild berry and cherry aromas are ripened to elegant intensity, masterfully woven with subtle undertones of earthiness, spice, and delicate mineral hues, bestowing a kaleidoscopic complexity. Fermented and aged in neutral oak barrels, the Bizot Vosne-Romanee Les Reas 2016's palpable tannins are soft yet persistent, enhancing the layered depth of this remarkable wine. Suited to accompany the finest cuisines, its harmonious integration of intricate layers calls for savouring through slow appreciation.

Indeed, each sip of the Bizot Vosne-Romanee Les Reas 2016 is a testament to the artistry of its creator, displaying an uncompromising dedication to quality and tradition.

The Bizot Vosne-Romanee Les Reas 2016 hails from the esteemed vineyards of Vosne-Romanee, nestled within France's renowned Burgundy region. Impeccably cultivated by the meticulous hands of Jean-Yves Bizot, a master in organic viticulture, this wine announces itself as a premier Burgundy Pinot Noir. Bizot's aptitude for minimalistic winemaking is reflected most exquisitely in the balanced integration of the wine’s 13% alcohol volume.

The vintage’s wild berry and cherry aromas are ripened to elegant intensity, masterfully woven with subtle undertones of earthiness, spice, and delicate mineral hues, bestowing a kaleidoscopic complexity. Fermented and aged in neutral oak barrels, the Bizot Vosne-Romanee Les Reas 2016's palpable tannins are soft yet persistent, enhancing the layered depth of this remarkable wine. Suited to accompany the finest cuisines, its harmonious integration of intricate layers calls for savouring through slow appreciation.

Indeed, each sip of the Bizot Vosne-Romanee Les Reas 2016 is a testament to the artistry of its creator, displaying an uncompromising dedication to quality and tradition.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

The 2016 L'Evangile Blason de l'Evangile is another brilliant second wine that delivers the goods. Showing a more upfront, fruit-loaded, opulent style, it gives up tons of cassis fruits, tobacco, incense, dried herbs, and graphite. With no hard edges, a full-bodied, rounded, sexy texture, and a great finish, it's a sexy, sexy Pomerol to drink over the coming 10-15 years, if not longer.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

The 2016 L'Evangile Blason de l'Evangile is another brilliant second wine that delivers the goods. Showing a more upfront, fruit-loaded, opulent style, it gives up tons of cassis fruits, tobacco, incense, dried herbs, and graphite. With no hard edges, a full-bodied, rounded, sexy texture, and a great finish, it's a sexy, sexy Pomerol to drink over the coming 10-15 years, if not longer.

Wine Advocate (93)

A terrific example of this bottling, the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Tradition is a blend of 75% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and tiny amounts of Cinsault, Counoise and Vaccarèse. About 40% was destemmed in this textbook vintage, the fruit coming from 40 different parcels around the appellation. Floral and raspberry notes emerge on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied but silky textured, ending on subtle shadings of Provence herbs and licorice. It's a relative bargain that's easy to drink now, but it should easily go a decade or more in a cool cellar.

Wine Advocate (93)

A terrific example of this bottling, the 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Tradition is a blend of 75% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and tiny amounts of Cinsault, Counoise and Vaccarèse. About 40% was destemmed in this textbook vintage, the fruit coming from 40 different parcels around the appellation. Floral and raspberry notes emerge on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied but silky textured, ending on subtle shadings of Provence herbs and licorice. It's a relative bargain that's easy to drink now, but it should easily go a decade or more in a cool cellar.

Wine Advocate (96)

There are 10,000 bottles of the stunning 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape A la Gloire de Mon Grand-Père, which is good news for lovers of 100% Grenache. Drawn from a single parcel in the lieu-dit of Gardiole (mostly sandy soils), half of the fruit was destemmed. It's full-bodied and concentrated but silky and refined, with scintillating purity of cherry and raspberry fruit, backed by crisp acids and enlivening hints of orange zest on the long, reverberating finish. It's a terrific value that should drink well for more than a decade.

Wine Advocate (97)

The all whole-bunch 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes is 85% Grenache, with the balance a mix of Mourvèdre and Syrah. The vines are all 80 to 90 years old, selected from parcels in Brusquières, Gardiole, Mont-Redon and Pignan. Glorious raspberry and cherry fruit picks up hints of mint and some stemmy notes, but they're remarkably well-integrated and should be completely absorbed within a couple of years. Full-bodied, rich and creamy in texture, this tour de force remains lively, silky and long on the finish. With 1,000 cases produced, it should be reasonably priced and reasonably available—an increasingly rare combination in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Vinous (88-90)

Bright, dark red. Ripe aromas of dark berries, plum and licorice. Supple and broad on entry, then quite dry in the middle, offering redcurrant and plum fruit flavors joined by a complicating spicy quality on the back end. The chewy tannins are going to require patience. The yield here was just 12 hectoliters per hectare, "my smallest ever for this cuvée," according to Weber.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2016 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jesus offers up pretty aromas of cherries, cassis, sweet loamy soil, truffles and grilled game bird. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and supple, with a succulent core of fleshy fruit and a rich and textural profile. It's a giving, generous wine that should offer a broad drinking window, but don't let its early approachability deceive, as it should be long-lived too.

Vinous (94-97)

Dark red-ruby. Knockout high-toned nose combines dark raspberry, violet, minerals and gingerbread, plus a note of cherries macerated in alcohol. Offers a rare and almost painful combination of silky fullness, fruit sweetness and salty energy, filling the mouth with perfume while conveying a magical lightness. Finishes with noble tannins and outstanding floral lift and length.

Vinous (90-92)

(as Bouchard lost 90% of their fruit in En Orveaux, this year's wine was made almost entirely from purchased fruit from vines worked by the Bouchard team, located below the premier cru Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges): Good red-ruby color. Sexy, inviting scents of candied dark berries, raspberry, mocha and licorice. Then fat, plush and fine-grained but not as sweet as the nose suggests; there's even something a bit roasted here. Finishes with decent acidity and solid structure but comes across as rather disjointed today and hard to assess. Winemaker Weber says he may have used too high a percentage of whole clusters and gotten too much stem tannins as a result. (Incidentally, in 2017 Bouchard will have two different bottlings of Echézeaux, one domain and one négoce.)

Jancis Robinson (17+)

Confected, candied red fruit on the nose, with rich spices too. Tight tannin, long fruit concentration on the finish. Should unfurl in due course and develop secondary flavours from that intense core fruit.

Jancis Robinson (17+)

Confected, candied red fruit on the nose, with rich spices too. Tight tannin, long fruit concentration on the finish. Should unfurl in due course and develop secondary flavours from that intense core fruit.

James Suckling (94-95)

Extremely dense, fruity and full-bodied, yet it’s also tight and very refined with silky tannins and a flavorful finish. This is something in the making. Best in years.

Wine Spectator (96)

The core of this red is loaded with pure plum, blueberry and black currant fruit flavors. The polished structure is integrated, with alluring ganache, anise and sweet tobacco notes throughout, all in a polished and balanced frame. A very classy red that isn't shy about its power but pushes its purity to the fore. Best from 2024 through 2039.

Wine Spectator (96)

The core of this red is loaded with pure plum, blueberry and black currant fruit flavors. The polished structure is integrated, with alluring ganache, anise and sweet tobacco notes throughout, all in a polished and balanced frame. A very classy red that isn't shy about its power but pushes its purity to the fore. Best from 2024 through 2039.

Wine Advocate (96-98)

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere picked from 22 September until 17 October (the tiny parcel of Carmenere picked three days later). The yields came in at 51 hectoliters per hectare and it is matured in 75% new oak and 25% one-year-old barrels, the final alcohol level 13.3%. It has a beautifully defined, very detailed bouquet with mineral-rich black fruit laced with cedar and graphite notes, living up to its nom de plume as the Pauillac of Margaux. The palate is simply the best that I have ever tasted at the estate, without question. This has presence, but also weightlessness, filigree tannin and perfectly pitched acidity, with real intensity and drive. The tension here is outstanding and the persistence is incredibly long. It is not the showiest of all the 2016s by a long stretch, and yet it is everything you could possibly want from a Margaux. Like Beychevelle this year, the 2016 Brane-Cantenac puts recent vintages in the shade, thanks not only to the growing season, but also a new punching down system in their gravity-fed winery that was completed in 2015. The 2016 is a benchmark against which future vintages will be compared.

Wine Advocate (96-98)

The 2016 Brane-Cantenac is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere picked from 22 September until 17 October (the tiny parcel of Carmenere picked three days later). The yields came in at 51 hectoliters per hectare and it is matured in 75% new oak and 25% one-year-old barrels, the final alcohol level 13.3%. It has a beautifully defined, very detailed bouquet with mineral-rich black fruit laced with cedar and graphite notes, living up to its nom de plume as the Pauillac of Margaux. The palate is simply the best that I have ever tasted at the estate, without question. This has presence, but also weightlessness, filigree tannin and perfectly pitched acidity, with real intensity and drive. The tension here is outstanding and the persistence is incredibly long. It is not the showiest of all the 2016s by a long stretch, and yet it is everything you could possibly want from a Margaux. Like Beychevelle this year, the 2016 Brane-Cantenac puts recent vintages in the shade, thanks not only to the growing season, but also a new punching down system in their gravity-fed winery that was completed in 2015. The 2016 is a benchmark against which future vintages will be compared.

Introducing Brown 2016, a remarkable vintage capturing the essence of the finest vineyards nestled in Napa Valley, California. As an expert wine connoisseur, I can confidently affirm that the Brown 2016 is an exemplar of premium and complex winemaking.

Characterised by an enticing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, Brown 2016 is hand-harvested and aged for 18 months in French oak barriques, lending it a lush, full-bodied profile. Its striking bouquet of ripe blackberries, toasted spices, and a hint of mocha deliver palate-pleasing complexity. The exhilaratingly long finish leaves a lasting impression on the taste buds.

Produced by Brown Estate, a family-owned entity with a rich winemaking heritage, Brown 2016 embodies their commitment to sustainable viticulture and meticulous craftsmanship, transcending ordinary oenological boundaries. This wine exemplifies what can be achieved when tradition meets innovation, a symphony of flavours in a bottle. Savour the Brown 2016 experience, an unmissable addition for discerning collectors and wine enthusiasts alike.

Vinous (96)

The 2016 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has a generous and pleasing nose with scents of strawberry preserve, crushed stone, rose petals and subtle orange-blossom. This is refined and transparent. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins. Beautifully balanced, this has a symmetry that is beguiling and classic. A little austere finish suggests it will benefit from several years in bottle. Utterly beguiling with enormous ageing potential. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

Wine Advocate (92-94)

The 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos du Fonteny, a monopole of the domaine, has a beautiful bouquet with dark berry fruit, blackberry and light orange blossom scents. This just blossoms with a couple of swirls, displaying impressive vigor while maintaining detail. The palate is stunning: wonderful focus, so much tension and you can really feel the calcaire on the tensile finish. This represents an outstanding offering from Bruno and it comes highly recommended.

Vinous (88-91)

(losses to frost were only 30% here, vs. 80% for the Grasses Têtes): Good dark red. Very ripe aromas of black cherry and mocha. At once sweeter and sappier than the Grasses Têtes, offering noteworthy concentration and definition to its juicy dark fruit flavors. Showing much more early personality too. Finishes with serious but pliant tannins.

The Bruno Clair Marsannay Rouge 2016 is a splendid embodiment of fine French winemaking. Expertly crafted in the heart of Burgundy, this charming Pinot Noir captures the essence of its Marsannay terroir with finesse. Its brilliance stems from Bruno Clair's philosophical winemaking approach, one that emphasizes minimal interference and meticulous attention to detail. An advocate of sustainable viticulture, Clair's respect for the soil affords a robust concentration of flavour.

This wine displays vibrant ruby hues, exuding ripe red fruits, including cherries and currants on the nose. On the palate, it impresses with its elegant tannins, the subtle spiciness of clove blending with its fruit-driven core. The wine's natural acidity and balance make it accessible within its youthful stage, whilst indicating a long life ahead.

The Bruno Clair Marsannay Rouge 2016 is a testament to the producer's profound understanding of the vine and a dedication to the authentic expression of its origin.