Surpassing the 2015 rendition, the 2016 Corton Grand Cru is the finest wine that the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has produced to date from the holdings of Prince Florent de Mérode. Wafting from the glass with notes of cassis, currant leaf, raspberries and menthol, discretely framed by new wood, the wine is medium to full-bodied, velvety and intense, gaining in depth and dimension as it sits in the glass, with tangy underpinning acids and powdery tannins, culminating in a long finish. Aubert de Villaine recounted that the Domaine replanted a third of Corton-Bressandes while also grafting over the Mérodes' young vines to their own massal selections of Pinot Fin. While this is built for four decade's evolution in the cellar, the balance and concentration are such that it could be drunk with pleasure in its youth.

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.

(no frost here): Healthy dark red. Highly scented, expressive nose dominated by raspberry, smoked meat and underbrush. The palate offers compelling sweetness and a seamless texture but also noteworthy precision and inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with a serious spine of tannins and excellent savory length. This should make a worthy successor to the 2015 bottling.

2009 was their first vintage of this wine. Bright cherry red. Bright red-cherry fruit too. Pure and fruity with feet solidly on the ground. But it builds beautifully towards the very persistent end. (JR)