2016 Vosne Romanee Les Beaux Monts

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts is showing well from bottle, unwinding in the glass to offer up a youthfully reserved bouquet of blackberries, cherries, plums, grilled game bird, rich soil and smoky new oak. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich and voluptuous, with a succulent core of fruit, vibrant fruit flavors and a fine-grained framing of structuring tannins. It's appreciably more reserved than earlier renditions of this cuvée, perhaps because Maxime Cheurlin now has an air-conditioned cellar and is maturing his wine for two winters in barrel. It will be interesting to follow its evolution over the coming decade.

(this wine was the first 2016 to complete its malo, before the summer): Bright full ruby. Very ripe but lively aromas of blackberry, black cherry, licorice and spices. Wonderfully dense, seamless, ripe and plush but with impressive energy for its fullness. The dark berry flavors convey a chocolatey ripeness but are also framed by surprising acidity. Dark, brisk and very long, with a repeating chocolate note.