Best Rhône 2016 wines: The top scorers
Here are Matt Walls' top scoring wines from the Rhône 2016 vintage, all rated above 95 points.
Below is a sneak preview of what Matt Walls has to say about the Rhône 2016 wines and his top picks from the vintage.
Many Rhône winemakers had a tough act to follow in 2016, following a 2015 vintage that was considered to be among the best in recent memory – especially in the northern appellations.
But, Walls judged that 2016 has largely delivered, describing the best wines of the vintage as ‘having it all’ and ‘not to be missed’ for collectors.
Southern Rhône 2016 vintage report in full
Northern Rhône 2016 vintage report in full
All of the wines below are rated above 95 points and have been chosen by Matt Walls after several weeks of scouring the region, from Côte Rôtie to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, tasting 1,500 en primeur wines in the process.
‘Before I arrived in the Rhône in October 2017 to taste the 2016 vintage, I already had an inkling it was going to be special,’ writes Walls in his full report, to be published for Premium members on Decanter.com later this week.
‘When tasting the 2015s the previous year – itself a very good vintage – some winemakers couldn’t contain their excitement about what they’d just picked,’ writes Walls.
‘”Yes, the 2015s are great, but try this!” said Vincent Avril of Clos des Papes, as he thrust a cloudy glass of freshly fermented 2016 into my hand.
‘Since then I’ve tasted nearly 1,500 wines from the 2016 vintage, and it’s clear that this is a very good year in the northern Rhône – and truly great in the South.’
Over the next week we’ll be bringing you a selection of Rhône 2016 notes from Matt Walls, covering both north and south and including some of his best value choices.
The best Rhône 2016 wines
Château Rayas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
On my visit on 9th October, as usual Emmanuel Reynaud still hadn't finished picking his 2017 harvest. He is always one of the latest to...
2016
Château RayasChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Jean-Paul Jamet, Côte Brune, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2016
Jamet's Côte Brune is a historical oddity rather than the result of following the single vineyard trend. It once represented 50% of production, but as...
2016
Domaine Jean-Paul JametCôte-Rôtie
Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
Principally from the lieux-dits of Péléat, Beaume, Les Bessards, L’Ermite and Le Méal, this is fresh and lifted with accessible berry fruits. The oak (10%...
2016
Domaine JL ChaveHermitage
M Chapoutier, L'Ermite, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
Aged in 30% new oak for 20 months. A highly aromatic nose, showing blackberry, blackcurrant and mineral hot slate aromas. It's very full-bodied and very...
2016
M ChapoutierHermitage
Château de Beaucastel, Hommage a Jacques Perrin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
Beautifully fresh, lifted and disarming on the nose, you react with a smile without thinking, like with so many of the best 2016s. At this...
2016
Château de BeaucastelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
M Chapoutier, Le Méal, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
From a very steep southern exposure, aged in 25% new oak for 18 months. This wine is relatively dark, brooding and intense in terms of...
2016
M ChapoutierHermitage
M Chapoutier, L΄Ermite, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
The 0.5 hectare plot of 100 year old vines is situated at the top of the hill behind the chapel, on sandy granite soils and...
2016
M ChapoutierHermitage
Clos des Papes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
Yields are always low at Clos des Papes, but this was Vincent Avril's biggest harvest since 2007, with yields of 25hl/ha. A tasting of various...
2016
Clos des PapesChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château de Beaucastel, Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
At nine years of age, this is clearly entering the second phase of its evolution, with oxidative notes taking the form of wax, honey and...
2016
Château de BeaucastelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Moulin de la Gardette, Ventabren, Gigondas, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2016
From 65 to 115 year old vines with no destemming, aged in old foudres. A discreet but intriguing nose of flowers, fruits and herbs. It's...
2016
Moulin de la GardetteGigondas
Château de St Cosme, Hominis Fides, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2016
Very ripe in the 2016 vintage, with the oak adding a little demerara sugar crust to the fruit. Very full-bodied, but not thick or fat....
2016
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Domaine Rostaing, Côte Blonde, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2016
No destemming here, aged in mostly old demi-muids with no more than 10% new oak. A captivatingly pretty floral fragrance can be coaxed out along...
2016
Domaine RostaingCôte-Rôtie
Domaine de Gourt de Mautens, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, Rhône, France, 2016
No special cuvées this year, just a red and a white. Very small yields of just 10 hl/ha in 2016 - a year he compares...
2016
Domaine de Gourt de MautensVin de Pays de Vaucluse
Domaine Alain Voge, Vieilles Vignes, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2016
From lieux-dits Mazard and La Côte, 80% destemmed. Sun-warmed herbs accompany sand, lavender and raspberry on the nose. It has good aromatic freshness and definition,...
2016
Domaine Alain VogeCornas
Domaine Vincent Paris, La Geynale, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2016
From vines of over 100 years old grown on south facing granite soils. Some stemmy aromas bring fresh thyme, rosemary, star-anise and white pepper freshness...
2016
Domaine Vincent ParisCornas
M Chapoutier, Le Pavillon, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
Matured in 28% new oak for 20 months. Aromas of soy, plum sauce, blackberry and blackcurrant. Exceptional smoothness of tannin, very seductive, almost drinkable now....
2016
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine Rostaing, La Landonne, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2016
Aged in demi-muids - a maximum of 10% new oak - with no destemming. It has that austere mineral character on the nose so typical...
2016
Domaine RostaingCôte-Rôtie
Château Rayas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
A punchy, intense and searching nose of grapefruit, quince and fresh herbs. It's full-bodied, with a slightly oily texture and a little touch of silk....
2016
Château RayasChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine du Pégau, Cuvée Da Capo, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
All 13 varieties have been used from lieux-dits La Crau, Les Escondudes and Mont Pertuis, with no destemming. There's some complexity and interest on the...
2016
Domaine du PégauChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
The nose is tightly wound for now, but shows fresh black fruits and an underlying herbal seam. It's full-bodied but immediately lifted and fresh on...
2016
Château de BeaucastelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
M Chapoutier, Le Méal Blanc, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
A two hectare plot of 50+ year old vines on a steep south facing slope of alluvial deposits and large stones. Deep gold in colour,...
2016
M ChapoutierHermitage
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Réservé, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
This is showing crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur) and kirsch on the nose, but it is still relatively closed. Yet it is showing exceptional finesse,...
2016
Domaine de la Vieille JulienneChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de la Janasse, Vieilles Vignes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
Part destemmed and fermented in concrete before being aged in foudre and demi-muids for 12 months. It has an agreeable nose, brooding and promising. Violets,...
2016
Domaine de la JanasseChâteauneuf-du-Pape
E Guigal, La Landonne, Côte-Rôtie, Rhône, France, 2016
Not destemmed. Always the deepest and most austere of the single vineyard 'La La' wines, the 2016 La Landonne exhibits some classic peppery spice and...
2016
E GuigalCôte-Rôtie
Domaine Saint Préfert, Collection Charles Giraud, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
Fresh, lifted violets and blueberries with a touch of liquorice on the nose. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, concentrated juice that is very precisely...
2016
Domaine Saint PréfertChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Delas Frères, Les Bessards, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
Typically Bessards, showing granite, smoke and smoky bacon on the nose. It's full but svelte, seamless on the palate with exceptionally smooth, slatey tannins, sufficiently...
2016
Delas FrèresHermitage
Domaine JL Chave, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
A tasting of component lieu-dits of L’Ermite, Les Roucoules and Péléat, revealing a potentially superb wine despite the tiny yields this year. The Ermite component...
2016
Domaine JL ChaveHermitage
Clos des Papes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2016
From various plots around the appellation, farmed organically. All six white varieties were co-fermented in equal percentages. There's a distinct quince, pear and aniseed character...
2016
Clos des PapesChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Marc Sorrel, Le Gréal, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
85% from the lieu-dit of Le Méal, the rest from the lieu-dit of Les Greffieux, all from 60 year old vines yielding 15 hl/ha. Half...
2016
Domaine Marc SorrelHermitage
Ferraton Père & Fils, Le Méal, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2016
A brooding and tightly wound but promising nose of lapsang souchong tea leaf, fresh blackberry and liquorice. In the mouth it's monolithic, concentrated and powerful....
2016
Ferraton Père & FilsHermitage
Château de St Cosme, Le Claux, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2016
<p>A deep, resonant and atypically dark-fruited Le Claux. Has extraordinary depth of fruit, but beautifully soft and silky palate. Precise balance, great harmony and remarkable...
2016
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Domaine Clape, Cornas, Rhône, France, 2016
No destemming as usual, fermented in concrete and aged in large, old oak barrels. A tasting of the four main component parts (La Petite Côte,...
2016
Domaine ClapeCornas
