2016 Maison Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru

(Drouhin lost more than half of the crop here, making the wine with 35% whole clusters--as with the Clos Vougeot and Grands-Echézeaux--in order to get a bit more volume for the vinification): Moderately saturated medium red. Alluring aromas of raspberry, minerals and flowers. Concentrated, savory wine with a very fine-grained texture and lovely balance to its red berry and spice flavors. Youthfully reticent but already much more harmonious than the Grands-Echézeaux. This very silky, delicate Amoureuses finishes firm and long, with its well-integrated tannins nicely supported by fruits and spices and a note of faded rose providing lift.

The 2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses has a beautiful bouquet with tightly wound violet-tinged black fruit, becoming a little more earthy and introverted with aeration. The palate is sensual and rounded on the entry with veins of blueberry and cassis that soon give way to quite a spicy and powerful finish. While not in the same class as the previous two vintages, this is still a serious, quite cerebral yet luxuriant Amoureuses that is beautifully crafted.

Cask sample. 16 months in oak, of which 30% new. 30% whole cluster. Badly hailed like the whole village. Tiny production but saved some using the candles. This wine inspires her for Oregon, says Véronique Drouhin. ‘This is the wine that is true Pinot.’ Light to mid cherry red. Beautifully scented, with a light floral note as well as the red fruit and just slightly stemmy. Refined but dry in texture, deep in fruit to counterbalance the tannins. The tannins are sweet on the finish, gently chewy. (JH)