When I tasted the 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from barrel, I wasn't convinced that it could match Rousseau's finest recent renditions of this cuvée such as the 2012, 2010 or 2005. From bottle, the wine has closed the gap, wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of cherries, ripe red berries, raw cocoa, beetroot and sweet soil tones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pretty core of fruit framed by fine-grained tannins and lively acids. This is a delicate, sapid Clos de la Roche that will drink well with a decade of bottle age.

(25% new oak): Bright, dark red. Very ripe, musky nose combines purple fruits, mocha, brown spices and game, along with some subtle earth notes. The sweetest of these 2016s to this point but also fine-grained and elegant, with its intense fruit and soil flavors nicely framed by lively acidity. Very rich, dense and alive. Offers a classic Clos de la Roche combination of fruits, spices and soil character.

20% new oak. Rich and denser than most Rousseau wines. Morey drive. Edge of tannin and acidity. Really quite marked (even though we are not tasting from a new cask). Firm. Definitely to be aged. Lots to chew on with the haunting bouquet emerging only at the very end at the moment. (JR)