Domaine Taupenot-Merme
2016 Corton-RognetsGrand Cru Red barrel
Score: 91-93
Tasted: Jan 15, 2018
Drink: 2031+
Issue: 69
Producer note: Romain Taupenot went somewhat against the grain in describing the 2016 vintage as “one that produced excellent wines that are potentially even better than their 2015 counterparts. Yes the frost and mildew were major problems but their effects were quite varied and in the end were much more about quantity than quality. Even then quantities were all over the map because for example we lost a lot of yield in our parcels of La Combe d’Orveau and Bel-Air, those in Mazoyères and Charmes-Chambertin, as well as most of Morey, were largely untouched. And even in those parcels that weren’t really affected we had a much higher incidence of shot berries so the concentration was not an issue. I waited to begin picking until the 29th of September and brought in very ripe and clean fruit, in fact we had some wines that had higher levels of phenolic maturity than we obtained in 2015. In fact I have never seen seeds as brown as they were in 2016 and in the same vein, potential alcohols were also excellent coming in as they did between 13.2 and 14.5% so there was essentially no chaptalization. Acidities were good as well because even after the malos were finished the total acidity for most wines was between 3.5 and 4 grams, which is quite respectable. As to the wines, I really like their freshness and energy along with their purity as the transparencies are so good that it’s easy to see the differences in the underlying terroirs.” I also found much to like in the Taupenot 2016s and particularly so at the villages level. I am also happy to note that all of the potential that I saw last year in the 2015s, revisited below, made it into bottle as there are some really lovely wines. They were bottled in April 2017. (Martine’s Wines, www.martineswines.com, CA, USA; SAQ, www.saq.com, Montreal, LCBO, www.lcbo.com, Ontario, Vintage, Alberta, all Canada; Flint Wines, www.flintwines.com, Lay & Wheeler, www.laywheeler.com, John Armit Wines, www.armit.co.uk, Atlas Fine Wines, www.atlasfinewines.com, Uncorked Ltd, www.uncorked.co.uk, Four Walls Wine Co., www.fourwallswine.com, Farthinghoe Fine Wines, www.farthinghoefinewine.com, Honest Grapes, www.honestgrapes.co.uk, Davis Bell McCraith Wines, www.dbmwines.co.uk, Brunswick Fine Wines & Spirits, www.brunswickfinewines.com, Albany Vintners, www.albanyvintners.com and Bibendum Wine Ltd., www.bibendum-wine.co.uk, all UK; L’Imperatrice Fine Wines, www.imperatrice.com.hk, Hong Kong).
Tasting note: A much defter application of wood is present here too but in this case the aromas of plum, black cherry, earth and a whiff of the sauvage have no trouble being appreciated. I very much like the sleek, even polished mouthfeel of the bigger, richer and more powerful broad-shouldered flavors that display excellent persistence on the palate coating, dusty and beautifully long finale where a hint of bitter cherry pit can be found. This is very firmly structured and will need at least a few years of bottle age first but in time it should be very good.
Domaine Taupenot-Merme, Corton Grand Cru, Le Rognet et Corton
US$980 / 每箱價格
Domaine Taupenot-Merme
2016 Corton-RognetsGrand Cru Red barrel
Score: 91-93
Tasted: Jan 15, 2018
Drink: 2031+
Issue: 69
Producer note: Romain Taupenot went somewhat against the grain in describing the 2016 vintage as “one that produced excellent wines that are potentially even better than their 2015 counterparts. Yes the frost and mildew were major problems but their effects were quite varied and in the end were much more about quantity than quality. Even then quantities were all over the map because for example we lost a lot of yield in our parcels of La Combe d’Orveau and Bel-Air, those in Mazoyères and Charmes-Chambertin, as well as most of Morey, were largely untouched. And even in those parcels that weren’t really affected we had a much higher incidence of shot berries so the concentration was not an issue. I waited to begin picking until the 29th of September and brought in very ripe and clean fruit, in fact we had some wines that had higher levels of phenolic maturity than we obtained in 2015. In fact I have never seen seeds as brown as they were in 2016 and in the same vein, potential alcohols were also excellent coming in as they did between 13.2 and 14.5% so there was essentially no chaptalization. Acidities were good as well because even after the malos were finished the total acidity for most wines was between 3.5 and 4 grams, which is quite respectable. As to the wines, I really like their freshness and energy along with their purity as the transparencies are so good that it’s easy to see the differences in the underlying terroirs.” I also found much to like in the Taupenot 2016s and particularly so at the villages level. I am also happy to note that all of the potential that I saw last year in the 2015s, revisited below, made it into bottle as there are some really lovely wines. They were bottled in April 2017. (Martine’s Wines, www.martineswines.com, CA, USA; SAQ, www.saq.com, Montreal, LCBO, www.lcbo.com, Ontario, Vintage, Alberta, all Canada; Flint Wines, www.flintwines.com, Lay & Wheeler, www.laywheeler.com, John Armit Wines, www.armit.co.uk, Atlas Fine Wines, www.atlasfinewines.com, Uncorked Ltd, www.uncorked.co.uk, Four Walls Wine Co., www.fourwallswine.com, Farthinghoe Fine Wines, www.farthinghoefinewine.com, Honest Grapes, www.honestgrapes.co.uk, Davis Bell McCraith Wines, www.dbmwines.co.uk, Brunswick Fine Wines & Spirits, www.brunswickfinewines.com, Albany Vintners, www.albanyvintners.com and Bibendum Wine Ltd., www.bibendum-wine.co.uk, all UK; L’Imperatrice Fine Wines, www.imperatrice.com.hk, Hong Kong).
Tasting note: A much defter application of wood is present here too but in this case the aromas of plum, black cherry, earth and a whiff of the sauvage have no trouble being appreciated. I very much like the sleek, even polished mouthfeel of the bigger, richer and more powerful broad-shouldered flavors that display excellent persistence on the palate coating, dusty and beautifully long finale where a hint of bitter cherry pit can be found. This is very firmly structured and will need at least a few years of bottle age first but in time it should be very good.
