The 2016 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru felt just a little disjointed compared to its peers at first and will hopefully gain more cohesion during the remainder of its élevage. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit, raspberry preserve and cranberry tinged with white pepper, long in the mouth with a structured finish that bodes well for the future. Wait for the aromatics to get their act together, and you will have a very fine Clos de Vougeot that I suspect will rank alongside their 2015, if not surpass it.

(13.3% alcohol; from domain and purchased grapes; this wine had just received a light lenticular filtration and was scheduled for bottling in February): Good medium red. Deep, ripe aromas of cherry, underbrush, menthol and spicy oak. Richer on entry than the Petits-Monts, then more solid but less sweet in the middle palate, with redcurrant and menthol flavors that reminded me a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. This youthfully brooding wine finishes classically dry, with building tannins.

Cask sample. 16 months in oak, of which 40% new. 10% whole cluster. Two parcels, one closer to the road, but they do not blend the parcels. Lower part often sold. Darker than most wines in this Drouhin line-up and with oak sweetness mixed in with the dark-red fruit. Floral – violets? – and richly generous in fruit. Rounded though firmly structured. Tougher than some. (JH)