2016 Benjamin Leroux, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, Les Amoureuses

(13% alcohol; Leroux has just a single one-year-old barrel of this juice as there was some frost here; 100% destemmed): Healthy dark red. Stunning, explosive perfume of raspberry, blood orange, peony and red licorice. Boasts outstanding concentration without any impression of weight; the almost painfully intense flavors of purple fruits, violet and white pepper made me shiver. Finishes with a broad dusting of fine-grained tannins and superb, slowly mounting length. An outstanding Amoureuses for serious aging, with the wine's pungent minerality standing in for its slightly low acidity.

The 2016 Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru les Amoureuses has a very detailed and refined bouquet with beautiful dark cherry, black plum and violet aromas. The palate is smooth and sensual with well-judged acidity, quite dense with more black than red fruit, dovetailing into a slightly confit-like finish that lingers in the mouth. I would have just liked a little more precision right on the finish but otherwise, excellent.

50% loss. Amoureuses is very lunatique, follows the moon. Not easy to find the optimum harvest date. Tasted in magnum. Bright crimson. Perfumed and gorgeous. Very fresh and vibrant and pure delicacy. Really very special indeed. Very well defined. Very long and dancing. (JR)