From my two previous posts on this vintage, you can guess what’s coming. Yes, 2016 was a great year in Burgundy as well as in Bordeaux and the Rhone. The entire region of Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is referred to as the Cote d’Or. It is broken down into the Cote d’Nuit in the North and Cote d’Beaune in the south. The only red grape grown here is Pinot Noir and the only white grape is Chardonnay. The Wine Spectator described the growing season as hot and dry with a little rain in September. This made for optimal growing conditions.
Burgundy produces some of the most expensive wines in the world. Due to the effects of primogeniture in passing down vineyard land over generations, most vineyards are quite small and the resulting grapes produce limited, expensive wines. Wines such as Richebourg and Eschezoux can command over $1000 per bottle. For the rest of us, there are regional bottlings of Pinot Noir from various vineyards in Burgundy. These are referred to as Bourgogne (Bur-goyne). Here are two that I enjoyed.
Bourgogne 2016 Ropiteau $19.00
Light in depth and color, this Pinot Noir nevertheless had a great charm. An initial strong sense of cherry and chocolate gave it a sort of candy-like taste. As time went on, it developed a good balance and complexity. For a light appearing wine, it had good body and a balance of tannins and acidity. Definitely has aging potential.
Bourgogne 2016 Domains Des Farrondes $17.00
Light in color, as most Pinot Noirs are, it still maintained good balance and complexity. It showed nice fruit character of black current and blackberry. As the meal progressed, it became creamy and exhibited elegance. Another wine with good aging potential
Gulf Coast Wine Journal 