www.bbr.com BURGUNDY 2016 Berry Bros. & Rudd 3 St James’s Street En Primeur London, SW1A 1EG 0800 280 2440 Offer starts at 9am on Thursday 4th January 2018 BURGUNDY 2016 EN PRIMEUR AUBE Adam Bruntlett we have introduced Cru Beaujolais wines and dry conditions lasting through August, and N BURGUNDY BUYER to the offer (starting on page 54). Many of rain arriving whenYONNE needed. September was dry Paris Chablis these wines are made by famous names in and cool, with harvest taking place in optimum Dijon conditions. Thankfully, the season’sSerein extreme the Côte d’Or who are tapping the potential Jovinien of this exceptional terroir, while others are climatic events had limited impact on the Tonnerrois 0 10 20 30 km from established growers embedded in this quality of fruit, with very little sorting required.Tonnerre 0 10 20 miles Auxerre fascinating granite soil. These are age-worthy A detailed report on growing conditions is Chablis Chablis wines which deserve serious consideration. available at bbr.com/vintagereport16. Chablisien Armançon Despite the limited stocks, we are delighted Auxerrois CÔTE D ’ OR to introduce two new producers: the exciting The white wines The 2016 vintage in Burgundy will almost young Chablis winemaker Sébastien Dampt, The white wines generally have Vézeliena fresher, more certainly be remembered for terrible frost as well as the outstanding white wines of classic feel than their richer 2015 counterparts. CHABLIS on 27th April. However, while much of the Puligny-based Olivier Leflaive, an estate we Some frost-affected vineyards display a more A6 A31 growers’ talk this autumn was of diminished have admired for some time. angular profile, but many of theseYonne filled out over Dijon As is customary, every producer receives a the course of the autumn barrel tastings and volumes, the focus quickly and invariably A38 shifted to the excellent quality of the wines. double introduction. The first part, in italics, will continue to do so with further élevage. The A39 Speaking to the growers, tasting over a is an overview which may be useful to those very best white wines will come close to Hautes–Côtes de Nuits matching those of the 2014 vintage. While the period of weeks and months, it became clear coming to our producers for the first time. The Nuits-St-Georges Chablis crop was particularly small, the wines Côte de Nuits that this is a vintage which has developed second part offers a brief commentary on the NIÈVRE slowly in barrel and tank, gradually gaining vintage. The more eagle-eyed may note there are generally very good and offer more of the Beaune A36 Hautes–Côtes de Beaune in complexity and depth, as though the are a number of different voices this year, which classic marine characteristics than last year. Côte de Beaune wines had initially been stunned by the is thanks to the assistance of our Wine Chagny trauma of the frost. What has emerged is Director Mark Pardoe MW, and my colleague The red wines Couchois delightful; 2016 has given wines with real Will Heslop, both of whom have provided The overall quality of the red wines is more Sâone charm, classic Burgundian profiles and a excellent tasting notes. consistent than the whites, with interest at Chalon-sur-Saône SAÔNE- Côte Chalonnaise complexity which at the top end hints at all quality levels. Across the board, the wines ET- A6 serious ageing potential. The vintage display an unmistakably Burgundian Pinot LOIRE The question of volumes is inescapable; The catastrophic frost damage incurred Noir fruit character. They offer a beguiling while we have been well looked after by on 27th April will define the vintage, but paradox of initialALLIER rich fruit on the front of the Tournus suppliers thanks to our longstanding there was also hail in the southern sector of palate andSAÔNE-ET-LOIRE succulent acidity on the finish, relationships, there are many instances where the Mâconnais a fortnight earlier, and two leaving one delightfully perplexed as to volumes are limited. Should you wish to buy, instances in Chablis on 13th and 17th May. whether this is a warm or cool vintage. The AIN please contact your Account Manager as soon The extent of the frost varied wildly, with very best wines are the equal of the 2015s, as possible. Additionally, prices have increased some parcels being completely destroyed, albeit in a style that will appeal more to the Mâcon A40 Pouilly-Fuissé for two reasons: the continued weakening of while neighbouring vines remained untouched. traditional Burgundy drinker. Mâconnais Sterling, and the catastrophic frost and hail in Only Santenay, Puligny-Montrachet and 2016, as well as 2017 in Chablis. Morey-St Denis escaped relatively unscathed. Key points RHÔ NE With such pressure on both prices and Spring was wet and cool, opening the • A small vintage of excellent quality LYON volumes, 2016 is the time to look beyond the door for mildew, which hit weakened vines • Classical Burgundies of both colours bigger names and consider lesser-known hardest and tested growers, particularly those • Reds more consistent than whites Département border villages such as Marsannay, Santenay, St practising organic viticulture. Just in time, the • Prices have risen; but the wines are Wine zone Mâconnais Wine zone Romain and Auxey-Duresses. It is also why weather picked up from mid-July, with warm worth it Couchois Wine district INDEX CHABLIS CÔTE DE BEAUNE CÔTE DE NUITS 2 Samuel Billaud Volnay & Pommard Chambolle-Musigny 2 Domaine Louis Michel & Fils 23 Domaine de Montille 44 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod 3 Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin 24 Domaine Michel Lafarge 45 Domaine Louis Boillot & Fils 4 Le Domaine d’Henri 25 Domaine François Buffet 4 Domaine Pinson Frères 26 Domaine Comte Armand 5 Domaine William Fèvre CÔTE DE NUITS 6 Domaine Sébastien Dampt Morey-St Denis CÔTE DE BEAUNE 47 Domaine des Lambrays Beaune 47 Dujac Fils & Père MÂCONNAIS 28 Benjamin Leroux 48 Domaine Castagnier 8 Domaine de la Soufrandière 29 Domaine des Croix 49 Domaine Lignier-Michelot 8 Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon 30 Maison Camille Giroud 9 Olivier Merlin 31 Joseph Drouhin 9 Château des Quarts 32 Maison Louis Jadot CÔTE DE NUITS 32 Maison Bouchard Père & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 33 Domaine Follin-Arbelet 50 Domaine Sérafin Père & Fils CÔTE DE BEAUNE 50 Jean-Luc & Eric Burguet 12 Jean-Yves Devevey 51 Domaine Rossignol-Trapet 12 Domaine David Moreau CÔTE DE NUITS 52 Domaine Denis Mortet 13 Domaine Hubert Lamy Nuits-St Georges 34 Domaine de la Vougeraie 36 Patrice & Maxime Rion CÔTE DE NUITS CÔTE DE BEAUNE 37 Domaine Faiveley Fixin & Marsannay Chassagne-Montrachet & 38 Domaine Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier 53 Domaine Jean Fournier Puligny-Montrachet 39 Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair 53 Domaine Joliet 14 Jean-Claude Bachelet & Fils 14 Domaine Michel Niellon 15 Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard CÔTE DE NUITS CRU BEAUJOLAIS Vosne-Romanée 16 Château de Puligny-Montrachet 54 Cru Beaujolais 17 Olivier Leflaive 40 Domaine Naudin-Ferrand 40 Domaine Sylvain Cathiard & Fils 41 Domaine Jean Grivot WINES AT A GLANCE CÔTE DE BEAUNE 42 Domaine Lamarche 56 Wines at a glance Meursault 43 Domaine Guyon 18 Domaine Sébastien Magnien 19 Dominique Lafon 20 Domaine Michel Bouzereau & Fils 20 Patrick Javillier 21 Jean-Philippe Fichet 22 Domaine Antoine Jobard CHABLIS Samuel Billaud Domaine Louis Michel & Fils SAMUEL BILLAUD CHABLIS, LES FOURNEAUX, 1ER CRU CHABLIS, VAUDÉSIR, GRAND CRU GUILLAUME MICHEL After a hiatus in 2015, we are pleased to welcome This comes from two parcels; one facing east and one this back to the range. Raised entirely in stainless steel facing west. The former brings minerality, the latter to preserve the freshness of this south-facing vineyard, brings sunny fruit. The result is a very complete wine, this is the most open of the Premiers Crus. The warmth perfectly walking the line between yellow peach and of the exposition shines through with pleasant yellow poised tension. The finish has a lovely touch of flinty The brilliantly talented Samuel Billaud fruit notes, while the steep, stony slope contributes gun-smoke. Drink 2022-2027. This domaine, based in the heart of Chablis, was finding family politics hard going, so a chalkiness to the finish. Very transparent. Drink dates back to 1850. Prior to 1970 all the he founded his own wine label in Chablis 2020-2025. E2948B 6 x 75cl bottles in bond £330.00 wines were fermented and matured in old separate from Domaine Billaud-Simon. E2944B 12 x 75cl bottles in bond 12 £258.00 CHABLIS, LES PREUSES, GRAND CRU oak barrels; by 1980 the old oak had been However with the sale of Domaine Billaud- thrown out and the domaine had switched Simon to Faiveley in 2014, Samuel has CHABLIS, SÉCHET, VIEILLES VIGNES, 1ER CRU From 60-year-old vines, this was raised in two-year- entirely to stainless steel. Today, it is run by old 450-litre barrels. It’s creamier than the Vaudésir, got back a proportion of the vineyards for This is produced from over 70-year-old vines passed with a touch of caramel. It displays the suave seduction Guillaume Gicqueteau-Michel and comprises himself. Whether from domaine sources or down from Samuel’s grandmother. There is no oak here of Preuses and a fine, iodine finish. Drink 2022-2026. 25 hectares of vineyards, mainly Premier purchased grapes, Samuel Billaud’s wines despite the hazelnut character on the nose. The fruit is and Grand Cru. It remains the byword for distinctly citrus, but minerality is the dominant factor E2949B 6 x 75cl bottles in bond £330.00 demonstrate his exceptional talent. in this wine. It is incredibly vibrant and dynamic; you unoaked Chablis.