2016 Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, Aux Brulees

(Grivot is aging this wine in 50% new oak but seasoned the barrels first with a Chardonnay vinification; all of the fruit from the lower section of this site was lost to frost but the terraces were unaffected): Bright red-ruby. Pure but reticent scents of dark raspberry, bitter chocolate and spices are accented by a touch of gunflint minerality. Sappy and fine-grained, offering terrific intensity and depth to its precise flavors of dark berries and spices. Grivot has long thought that his Aux Brûlées vines on a south-facing terrace are too sun-drenched in warmer years, but he noted that this is the first vintage he has really liked for its energy and sophistication, describing the wine as "less Brigitte Bardot than normal." He credits this to more intracellular fermentation with a higher percentage of whole berries.

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brûlées has a supremely gifted bouquet, beautifully defined with red and black berry fruit, chalk, bay leaf and hints of cold black tea. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly chalky tannin. This is crisp, tightly wound, very focused and quite penetrating toward the finish, though it does not offer the depth or volume of the 2015 last year. Still, this is a very fine Aux Brûlées that will age with style.