Burgundy 2016 – Q–R

See the full guide to our coverage of Burgundy's 2016 vintage. 

Friday, 5 January 2018
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CHÂTEAU DES QUARTS, Chaintré

Broad and ripe and flattering. So sleek and gorgeous! Over-delivery in spades. (JR)

Drink 2019 – 2025
£156 per case of 6 ib Berry Bros & Rudd
 

DOMAINE RAPET PÈRE ET FILS, Pernand-Vergelesses

Rather succulent and flashy with its hint of oak. All the Pernands seem fleshier than usual in 2016. Polished and sophisticated with a spine and savour. Very cool and well balanced and satisfying. Hint of lemon drops. (JR)

Drink 2019 – 2026
£230 per case of 12 ib H2Vin

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)

Drink 2024 – 2036
£308 per case of 12 ib H2Vin

DOMAINE FRANÇOIS RAQUILLET, Mercurey 
RH: Another good example of where value can be found in a good vintage such as 2016.

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)

13%
Drink 2018 – 2021
£120 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

13%
Drink 2018 – 2026
£165 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

13%
Drink 2019 – 2029
£200 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

13%
Drink 2021 – 2031
£205 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

Drink 2022 – 2032
£205 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman
 

DOMAINE GASTON ET PIERRE RAVAUT, Ladoix
RH: Very fairly priced wines, with some especially good value buys at the affordable level.

Hard cheese and even a touch of tobacco on the palate. Vivid apple and citrus fruit, good chewy grip to the finish. Perhaps doesn't quite scale the full heights of grand cru, but may well get more complex after a few years. (RH)

Drink 2019 – 2026
£330 per case of 6 ib Clark Foyster

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)

Drink 2019 – 2026
£84 per case of 6 ib Clark Foyster

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)

Drink 2022 – 2036
£117 per case of 6 ib Clark Foyster

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)

Drink 2020 – 2030
£153 per case of 6 ib Clark Foyster

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)

Drink 2022 – 2041
£249 per case of 6 ib Clark Foyster

JEREMY RECCHIONE, Gevrey-Chambertin

Apple-skins nose – natural? Tangy and a slight lack of fruity core. Pretty astringent. (JR)

Drink 2018 – 2019

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)

Drink 2018 – 2020

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

Drink 2019 – 2024

HENRI ET GILLES REMORIQUET, Nuits-St-Georges

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)

Drink 2018 – 2020
£150 per case of 12 ib The Sampler

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)

Drink 2022 – 2030
£350 per case of 12 ib The Sampler

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)

Drink 2022 – 2030
£700 per case of 12 ib The Sampler

DOMAINE CHANTAL REMY, Morey-St-Denis 
JR: Certainly not shy, retiring flowers but positive divas. 

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)

Drink 2022 – 2032
£400 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks

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)

Drink 2026 – 2040
£690 per case of 6 ib Justerini & Brooks

DOMAINE JOËL RÉMY, Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche
RH: Particularly worthwhile options in their mid-range.

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

Drink 2018 – 2020
£90 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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

Drink 2019 – 2022
£150 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

Drink 2020 – 2030
£230 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

Drink 2020 – 2030
£165 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

Drink 2021 – 2031
£225 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

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)

Drink 2018 – 2033
£250 per case of 12 ib Lea & Sandeman

DOMAINE DANIEL...