2016 Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, Les Rouges

For reports and full tasting notes, go toTim Atkin MW's website.

The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Rouges has a more masculine, perhaps more bucolic bouquet compared to Les Chaumes at present: dusky black fruit, autumn leaves, white flowers and just a light pinch of brown spice. The palate is very focused with plenty of energy, certainly leaning toward tart red fruit with fine mineralité and salinité toward the penetrating finish. This is all about the precision rather than power. Bon vin!

(from 40-year-old vines just above Echézeaux in Les Rouges du Dessus): Bright, dark red. Pungent aromas of minerals, spices, white pepper and herbs suggest some whole-cluster vinification but this wine was destemmed. Enters the mouth juicy and spicy, then shows lovely finesse of texture in the middle, with strong calcaire -influenced flavors of minerals, gunflint and white pepper plus an intriguing suggestion of garrigue . This very brisk, precise, high-altitude wine finishes dry and minerally, with vibrating, rising length. More impressive on the back half than on the nose or attack.

A more elegant and really quite pretty nose offers up a ripe and fresh blend of plum, dark cherry and spice, all of which is trimmed in subtle wood. The generous, fleshy and very round medium-bodied flavors possess a highly seductive mid-palate mouthfeel while exhibiting good length on the delicious finale that also flashes a touch of youthful austere.

Vineyard abuts Échezeaux. Mid ruby. Nose a bit muted. Salty palate. Dry end. Very embryonic. Very graphite. ‘Very good with fish.’ (JR)