2016 Domaine Jacques Prieur, Musigny Grand Cru

(13.2% natural alcohol; nine hectoliters per hectare produced; 30% vendange entier ): Impressively deep, bright ruby-red. Lively scents of black cherry licorice and violet, plus a whiff of saline minerality. Displays superb sucrosité and density, then turns chewier and more saline in the middle palate, conveying a stronger impression of ripeness than the Echézeaux. Really saturates the palate and vibrates on the long, salty back end.

The 2016 Musigny Grand Cru consists of three barrels from one hectare, with one new barrel and 100% whole bunch. This has a lifted bouquet, very perfumed with crushed violets, blue fruit and fine mineral scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin, tensile and focused. There is moderate depth, quite chalky in style with a precise, stony finish. I hope that it gains a little flesh on the finish to match the pulchritude of the aromatics.