Burgundy 2016 – Q–R

Deep crimson. Rich, heady nose. Sweet start and very slightly tarty on the nose and then pretty chewy on the palate. Relatively low acid – hot-summer effect? This may well come into its own eventually but needs time in bottle. (JR)

Candied cherry fruit on the nose, pleasingly full body and a vegetal note on the finish. Entirely savoury. The vegetal element is strong but not incongruous to the style. (RH)

Soy and aniseed on the nose, with light tannic chew and crunchy cranberry fruit. Pure and open-knit with very tender tannic feel on the palate. A great demonstration of the purity of the vintage. (RH)

Impressive concentration on the nose, giving almost jammy red fruit, and semi-firm tannic grip on the palate. Modern and svelte, but still has the classic savoury profile of Burgundy. GV (RH)

Cask sample. Less overtly fruity than their Vasées. Finely ground tannic fur on the palate, and the flavour range is quite compact too – yet with sufficient concentration to promise future complexity. (RH)

Cask sample. Muted nose, which gives more black fruit than red (especially compared with their other premiers crus). Very fine tannins, bright acidity, decent length. For those who like Gevrey-Chambertin… and a bargain! GV (RH)

Attractive reductive flintiness on the nose with vivid, crunchy red fruit and well-integrated spiciness. This is my kind of burgundy! Interesting, typical, well made and – crucially – affordable! GV (RH)

Generous, juicy red fruit on the palate and a smoky, farmy scent on the finish. Chewy and tannic, but not indigestible thanks to a good burst of acidity. Better generosity of flavour than many burgundies at this price. (RH)

Excellent fruit character which has a slight candied note but retains savoury crunch on the palate. Simple on the finish but the fruit definition is interesting enough to sustain interest by itself. (RH)

Dark, black-cherry aromas and full body – this has all the hallmarks of grand cru red, but manages to look pretty good value too! GV (RH)

Creux Brouillard fruit, Mark Haisma thinks.
Heady and plump on the nose. Very round and flattering and easy and appealing. A little simple but masses of pure fruit even if without much structure. Gevrey Lite. Long. Wine-bar wine – a wow! Really like this for now. (JR)

Rich purple fruit. Gloriously opulent and textured. Powdery texture. Really rather exuberant and distinctive. (JR)

Not very intense nose of fresh red fruits. Light, fresh red fruit on the palate too, with evident tannins, particularly on the finish. Light and easy-drinking, but not one to keep very long. GV (EL)

Meatier, more masculine perfume than the Hautes Ctes de Nuits just tasted. Powerful, creamy and intense red and black fruits, inside a big tannic frame. Lovely though! Not ready. GV (EL)

Much more fruit on the nose than Nuits-St-Georges Les Allots just tasted. More feminine. Spice – an unexpected hit of pepper. Delicious though – can’t spit this one. Long and gorgeous. So balanced already (apart from the spice). Tannins are fine and barely noticeable till the finish. (EL)

Monopole. Really intense nose. Lots of fruit and juice and charm. So sweet and polished! A very distinct style but one that should appeal to hedonists rather than purists. Medium weight and so easy to like already! (JR)

Mid crimson. Very heady and a little oaky on the nose. Smooth as a baby’s bottom on the palate with a certain liqueur-like quality. Very distinctive! Guilty secret to like this? The Milk Tray of grands crus? I’m probably being horrendously judgmental. Lots of hedonistic pleasure anyway. (JR)

Something rather composted about this nose. Emphasises the riper side of Pinot, yet also has bitter acid. Seems a little muddy overall. (RH)

Simple red fruit with better concentration than their Bourgogne but not much range beyond basic bramble flavours. Tight structure on the finish. (RH)

Some fresh mint along with the black bramble fruit on the nose. Tender structure, loads of enjoyable primary fruit on the palate, light body and a touch of medicinal character on the finish. (RH)

Much riper and more satisfying than their Beaumonts from Chorey, with good mid-palate weight and attractive chewiness. Complexity on the finish too, leaving mushroom and black-cherry flavours. (RH)

Floral perfume on the nose, followed by quite bitter fruit character on the palate. Tight structure, strong core concentration. Doesn't give so much breadth of flavour as their Beaune Les Avaux, but has all the components to get there with bottle age. (RH)

More expressive on the nose than perhaps you'd expect from traditional Pommard (not that I'm complaining), with lovely floral notes, fresh red fruit and approachable tannin on the finish. Crisp and thirst-quenching on the finish. (RH)