2016 Joseph Drouhin, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, Les Amoureuses

The 2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses has a beautiful bouquet with tightly wound violet-tinged black fruit, becoming a little more earthy and introverted with aeration. The palate is sensual and rounded on the entry with veins of blueberry and cassis that soon give way to quite a spicy and powerful finish. While not in the same class as the previous two vintages, this is still a serious, quite cerebral yet luxuriant Amoureuses that is beautifully crafted.

(Drouhin lost more than half of the crop here, making the wine with 35% whole clusters--as with the Clos Vougeot and Grands-Echézeaux--in order to get a bit more volume for the vinification): Moderately saturated medium red. Alluring aromas of raspberry, minerals and flowers. Concentrated, savory wine with a very fine-grained texture and lovely balance to its red berry and spice flavors. Youthfully reticent but already much more harmonious than the Grands-Echézeaux. This very silky, delicate Amoureuses finishes firm and long, with its well-integrated tannins nicely supported by fruits and spices and a note of faded rose providing lift.