2016 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Grand Cru

The 2016 Corton Grand Cru was picked on September 22 at 22hL/ha. It has an attractive and quite effervescent bouquet of red cherry, cranberry and light iron filing aromas that are beautifully defined. There is real class and sophistication here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and well-judged acidity, but perhaps does not quite deliver the grip and density of very best Cortons that the domaine has made since 2009. This is more tensile and poised, lightly spiced with white pepper and earthy notes toward the finish and bitter cherry on the aftertaste. The finish conjures the image of someone looking around a room and wondering where it is, in the sense that it just wanders a little. It could be just a phase, and if so, this will merit a higher score. 420 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in-bottle tasting in London.

Vines aged 46 years, yield 22 hl/ha. Bottled 27 Feb and 31 May 2018. 420 dozen produced. Lightish crimson. Ethereal scent, subtle in the extreme but with many components comingled, currently a touch of exotic spice but also the freshest of red fruit – cranberry and raspberry. Deep and succulent on the palate, unbelievably smooth and still dense in a very discreet way. There’s a slight stemmy note of herbal freshness but it comes and goes rather than standing out. Gets more spicy and also stony/mineral in the glass. Excellent freshness that lifts the very long finish. So long. (JH)