Wine 2016

Our view on the 2016 vintage

2016 vintage is another great success for the wine industry after the magnificent 2015 vintage. However, yields are low due to heavy episodes of frost and thunderstorms. The wines are sometimes rare leading prices to rise.

In Burgundy, the frost at the end of April devastated up to 30% of the harvest, from Chablis to the Cote de Beaune, which reminds us the 1981 vintage. 2016 Burgundy red wines are captivating, like the 1978 sublime vintage. The fruit purity and vivid energy of 2016 wines are reminiscent of 2010, whilst the sanitary grapes quality reminds us of the following great vintages: 2005, 2010 or 2015. The Burgundy white wines have a very sharp and crisp profile, promising a very long aging potential.

Some producers, such as Georges Roumier estate, declared that 2016 vintage were their smallest harvest in 35 years. The south of the Cote de Nuits, from Vosne Romanee to Nuits Saint Georges, has less suffered than Vougeot and Chambolle Musigny. Same observations have been done in Beaune, Volnay and Meursault. The 2016 Montrachet designation has been much more affected on Chassagne Montrachet side than on Puligny Montrachet side. Moreover, this very special year led 7 Montrachet producers (Romanee Conti, Comtes Lafon, Leflaive, Guy Amiot, Lamy Pillot, Petitjean and Fleurot Larose) to harvest their grapes mutually in order to create two common pieces, that is to say approximately 500 bottles.  Something never seen before!

The 2016 Bordeaux wines are legendary. Despite the rain, the vintage has been generous, attractive, and as balanced as the fantastic 1990 Bordeaux vintage. This 2016 vintage won many 100/100 rating from Robert Parker: Cheval Blanc, Cos Estournel, Latour, Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild, Leoville Las Cases... With the 2015 vintage, the 2016 vintage allows to continue the series of memorable vintages pairs in Bordeaux, like 1982/1983, 1989/1990, 2009/2010.

In the Loire valley, the 2016 Sancerre and 2016 Menetou Salon are particularly successful with fragrant white wines and gorgeous red wines. However the severe frosts of April in some designations of origin, such as Montlouis, Chinon and Bourgueil, have been complicated to deal with for Loire winemakers.