2016 Château de la Tour Clos de Vougeot Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru

(13.2% alcohol; 18 hectoliters per hectare produced; from vines harvested on September 23): Bright, moderately saturated medium red. Explosive, fruit-dominated aromas of dark berries, cherry, spices, mint, menthol, flowers and minerals. Conveys compelling sappy energy in a silky, medium-bodied package, with its black fruit and herb flavors complicated by a touch of saline minerality. Boasts glorious density of fruit--and near-perfect balance in spite of the very low yield. The very long, rising, perfumed finish offers a serious tannic spine for aging but no rough edges. This penetrating, urgent, classic Clos Vougeot, a standout for the vintage, boasts real pinosity. François Labet told me that, beginning with his 2015s, he did not use enzymes and did not add any sulfur until the middle of the élevage , well after the malolactic fermentations finished. He bottled this 2016 with just 20 parts per million free sulfur and 35 total.

Organic. Cask sample. Mid crimson. Scented with red fruit like the Cuvée Classique but more obviously herbal, peppery and complex, some sweet oak aroma too. This is firm and dry and elegant rather than generous. Needs a good bit more time. (JH)

(100% new oak): Dark red-ruby. At once more perfumed, more subtle and more laid-back than the cuvée classique (from grapes harvested a bit earlier and slightly riper), offering aromas of black raspberry and licorice. Wonderfully refined, tangy wine, a step up from the basic cuvée in intensity and depth, not to mention energy. This seriously concentrated, deep, sophisticated Clos Vougeot finishes with a firm dusting of building tannins and palate-saturating, rising length. Has all the elements to make a great and long-lived bottle but should also offer great early appeal.