Dark, bright, saturated red. Sexy resiny spices and a hint of orange zest lift the wine's youthfully unforthcoming dark fruit aromas. Subtly complex but a bit unforthcoming, with its sweet, rich dark berry and spice flavors cut by savory minerality. A distinctly deeper style than the Charmes-Chambertin, showing more earth, spice and iron-like rare steak notes and finishing with greater grip. The Charmes is ethereal by comparison to this big boy, which finishes with a serious tannic structure and salty minerality.

A more deeply pitched and brooding nose offers up notes earth, underbrush, plum, cassis and plenty of sauvage influence. There is terrific punch to the very rich, intense and muscular big-bodied flavors that possess a velvety and caressing mid-palate mouthfeel that contrasts considerably with the robust, powerful and moderately austere finish that delivers spectacular length. I really like the sense of definition and harmony here but note well that unlike the Chapelle, this is going to require the better part of a decade to become sufficiently civilized to be enjoyable.

The 2016 Mazoyères-Chambertin Grand Cru is showing some stem addition on the nose, and it works well: complex and very terroir-driven with endearing sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, good acidity, classic in style with hints of tobacco and white pepper towards the fresh and persistent finish. Excellent. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

Cask sample. Lifted, aromatic nose with eucalypt, stemmy herbal aromas and well-defined red fruit. Long and intense on the palate – great substance and intensity. Long, impressive finish with a saline mineral quality. (RH)