Domaine Georges Noëllat
2016 Vosne-Romanée “Les Beaux Monts” ♥1er Cru Red barrel
Score: 91-94
Tasted: Jan 15, 2018
Drink: 2026+
Issue: 69
Outstanding
Note: from a .45 ha parcel in Les Beaux Monts Bas which is in Flagey
Producer note: Maxime Cheurlin, who is now responsible for 11 ha, had little to say about the 2016 growing season except to say “the frost cost us around 40% of the potential crop and that’s with plenty of vines in Vosne proper where we had fewer problems. The fruit at the harvest was both quite ripe and very clean so the vinifications were straightforward. As to the wines, they are concentrated and refreshing and in my view they’re as good as the 2012s.” While I know that Cheurlin meant the comparison of 2016 with 2012 as a compliment, I would suggest that his 2016s are better than the 2012s. I would add that Cheurlin commented that the malos were very slow to finish and some hadn’t. Not surprisingly a number of wines were reduced. Cheurlin has also started a small négociant operation, called Maxime Cheurlin-Noëllat, that he said will be progressively expanded over the next few vintages. Please see the reviews for those wines herein. Cheurlin noted that his 2015s, revisited below, were bottled between March and July 2017 without fining or filtration.
Tasting note: Reduction. Interestingly, the palate impression of the medium weight flavors is even finer with terrific vibrancy and minerality where the intensity really builds from the mid-palate on back to the explosively long finish. This dusty effort is quite serious and will also need at least some bottle age before it could be reasonably approachable.
