Best Burgundy 2016 wines: The top scorers
See Burgundy 2016 wines rated above 95 points by William Kelley, following extensive tasting in the region ahead of the coming en primeur campaign by merchants in early 2018.
Scroll down to see William Kelley’s Burgundy 2016 wines over 95 points
Read the in-depth report here
Brief overview
Burgundy 2016 will be at least partially remembered both inside and outside the region for the devastating frosts that struck many vineyards, including premier cru and grand cru sites, in late April of that year.
Few could remember frosts so bad. ‘I’ve never heard of Echezeaux freezing,’ Emmanuel Rouget told William Kelley, whose full Burgundy 2016 vintage report will be published online for Decanter Premium members soon.
Some wineries later saw frost damage compounded by mildew, and subsequently there will be even smaller-than-usual quantities of wine in the worst hit areas.
As is so often the case, damage was patchy and parts of Burgundy survived relatively unscathed. The bad weather has increased a sense of heterogeneity in the young wines from the vintage.
A warm and dry summer from mid-July onwards helped considerably during the growing season and, as a consequence, there are still superb wines to seek out, spanning different appellation levels and price tiers, writes Kelley.
Several top estates hit hard by weather conditions on some sites still performed well with their remaining crop, like Domaine Armand Rousseau, which lost around 60% of its 2016 harvest in Chambertin Grand Cru, Kelley writes.
Early signs suggest that this is more of a red Burgundy vintage than one to rival the very top years for white wines.
Kelley’s ratings show many wines above 95 points, but with fewer white wines making the cut at this level versus 2015, for example.
His top scoring wines of the vintage, shown below, are still expected to have significant life spans, stretching beyond three decades in several cases.
William Kelley’s top scoring Burgundy 2016 wines
Compare Burgundy 2016 with our en primeur scores from the 2015 vintage. See Burgundy 2015 scores here.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monopole, Burgundy, France, 2016
As with the La Tâche, this is a touch paler in colour than the rest of the range. The aromas on the Romanée-Conti are markedly...
2016
Domaine de la Romanée-ContiRomanée-Conti Grand Cru Monopole
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Richebourg Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The Richebourg has discreet yet powerfully brooding aromatics, mingling a hint of whole-bunch fruit with a spicy undertone of oak. It has energetic drive from...
2016
Domaine de la Romanée-ContiRichebourg Grand Cru
Domaine Georges Roumier, Musigny Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
New oak barrel sample. Deep red. Voluptuous raspberry nose, vibrant and seductive. Fresh attack, lean and intense, with fine-grained tannins supporting the mouthwatering fruit. Lifted...
2016
Domaine Georges RoumierMusigny Grand Cru
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The Mugneret sisters set the standard for what is possible in the Clos Vougeot, and their 2016 is only the latest instalment in a long...
2016
Domaine Georges Mugneret-GibourgClos de Vougeot Grand Cru
Domaine Dugat-Py, Chambertin Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The 90 year old vines Dugat-Py has in Le Chambertin have produced a fabulous 2016, and anyone who manages to secure any of the 140-odd...
2016
Domaine Dugat-PyChambertin Grand Cru
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole, Burgundy, France, 2016
A touch paler ruby in colour, this has a broodingly seductive fragrance combining red berries, cedary spice and an undertone of stalky whole-bunch. You just...
2016
Domaine de la Romanée-ContiLa Tâche Grand Cru Monopole
Domaine Dugat-Py, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The Mazis-Chambertin is fabulous, one of the wines of the vintage in 2016. It opens in the glass with a nose of wild black fruits,...
2016
Domaine Dugat-PyMazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
Domaine Duroché, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
Duroché’s vines in the Clos de Bèze, planted in 1920, have produced the king of the cellar in 2016, revealing a superb and already expressive...
2016
Domaine DurochéChambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Domaine Emmanuel Rouget, Vosne-Romanée, 1er Cru Cros Parantoux, Burgundy, France, 2016
As good as the Echezeaux and Beaux Monts are, the Cros Parantoux is the king of the Rouget cellar in 2016, opening in the glass...
2016
Domaine Emmanuel RougetVosne-Romanée
Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, Richebourg Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
This is a beauty in 2016, revealing a deep-pitched bouquet of wild berries, rich red and black fruit, asphalt, rich soil and spice. On the...
2016
Domaine Hudelot-NoëllatRichebourg Grand Cru
Domaine Marc Colin, Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
While the Bâtard-Montrachet was still digesting some sugar and in no condition to be tasted, the Montrachet was already expressive, clearly ranking as one of...
2016
Domaine Marc ColinMontrachet Grand Cru
Domaine Dujac, Clos St-Denis Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
This Clos-St-Denis is superb, bursting from the glass with an elegant and floral nose of rose petal, sweet red berry fruit, cinnamon, raw cocoa and...
2016
Domaine DujacClos St-Denis Grand Cru
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Vieilles Vignes, Musigny Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
This year’s Musigny is fabulous, unfolding in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of red and black cherry, pomegranate, liquorice, dried roses and...
2016
Domaine Comte Georges de VogüéMusigny Grand Cru
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, Echézeaux Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
Echezeaux was hit by 2016’s frosts, yielding just 16hl/ha. But the wine is fabulous, opening in the glass with a brooding nose of dried peel,...
2016
Domaine Georges Mugneret-GibourgEchézeaux Grand Cru
Vincent Dauvissat, Chablis, Les Preuses Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The Preuses was, appropriately, quite closed when I tasted it, opening in the glass with a reticent but profound bouquet of wet stones, white flowers,...
2016
Vincent DauvissatChablis
Domaine Armand Rousseau, Chambertin Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The domaine lost 60% of its harvest in Chambertin this year, but the grapes which survived have produced a stunning wine, opening in the glass...
2016
Domaine Armand RousseauChambertin Grand Cru
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
An impressive deepish ruby in colour, this has a discreet touch of stalk with a dark berry fragrance and a hint of spicy oak. Brooding...
2016
Domaine de la Romanée-ContiRomanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru
Domaine Georges Roumier, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2015
Only 160 bottles made. A flamboyant nose with rich cherry fruit, a hint of mocha as well as lurking red fruits. Very rich, with a...
2015
Domaine Georges RoumierBonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Domaine Georges Roumier, Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The Bonnes-Mares is one of the high points of the Roumier range this year, opening in the glass with aromas of wild berries, ripe red...
2016
Domaine Georges RoumierBonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Domaine Joseph Drouhin, Musigny Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The 2016 Musigny is superb, wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of ripe red cherry, liquorice, truffle, wild rose and squab. On the...
2016
Domaine Joseph DrouhinMusigny Grand Cru
Domaine Cécile Tremblay, Du Dessus, Echézeaux Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
A complex bouquet of wild berries, roasted coffee, wood smoke and orange rind, framed by new oak, is the prelude to an ample, fine-grained wine...
2016
Domaine Cécile TremblayEchézeaux Grand Cru
Domaine Claude Dugat, Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, 2016
The Griotte is not the most powerful wine chez Dugat in 2016, but its exquisite elegance makes it the king of the cellar. Delicate notes...
2016
Domaine Claude DugatGriotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
