A Report on the 2016 Burgundy Vintage

In our cellars here at Domaine de Cromey – our home in Burgundy – we have some great wines from the 2016 vintage. To look at them glinting serenely in their racks, their sweet nectar waiting to be discovered, you would not believe that they came from one of the most difficult vintages in recent memory. If you have any 2016 wine, treasure it and consider that there might nearly have been no 2016 vintage as we know it at all...

In this vintage report, we’ll take a look at how it all happened – how the weather conspired against us, and how the incredible winemakers of the 2016 Burgundy vintage triumphed over adversity and brought in the harvest against all the odds.

Burgundy Harvest and 2016 Vintage Report

You might think that being a winemaker in Burgundy means long warm days, wandering the vineyards and watching grapes ripen slowly at your leisure, then simply picking, waiting and enjoying the wines of your labour. Well, 2016 was the proof that this rose ­tinted world doesn’t really exist. Making wine is hard – perilous sometimes – and nothing is guaranteed. 2016 saw a rollercoaster of emotions, from despair, to determination, disappointment, and ultimately joy.

Early on, the regions of Chablis and Mâcon were afflicted by hail – not an unusual thing in these parts, but hardly a good omen either. It turned out to be the overture to a devastating frost on April 26th, across much of the Cote D’Or. It froze vines right up the hillside, ones not usually affected, like those in Musigny and Montrachet.

There were hopes that spring would bring better luck, but it actually got worse – cool, wet, sometimes stormy – perfect conditions for mildew. More hail hit Chablis, such that by the time the solstice arrived, many predicted they had lost up to half of their entire crop. Even seasoned campaigners found it hard to find any optimism.

It was looking like a late harvest in September, if the small crop survived that long. Nature had another card to play though; a scorching hot July and August. This curbed the mildew and gave the grapes the respite they badly needed. That optimism that had been so elusive now started to creep back tentatively – after all, there are benefits in quality to low ­yield vintages.

The saying in Burgundy that “September makes the wine” has never been more true than in 2016. Mid­month there was some much­needed rainfall which took the edge off the heat and made the fruit ripen perfectly. Some began to wonder if they might even match the quality of the 2015 vintage, which had been one of the best in most people’s memories. Low yields often mean intensity and concentration of flavor, and coupled with the fact that the surviving fruit was in the hands of serious vignerons meant that there was reason to be hopeful.

How Wines From the 2016 Burgundy Vintage Are Drinking

In any vintage there will be good and bad wines – those that deserve your hard ­earned spend, and those that simply don’t make the grade. That’s not specific to Burgundy – that's what happens in any crowded market, where the product is complex and made at the mercy of nature. But there are ways you can weight things in your favor – for example, when it comes to producers, try to cut through the ‘noise’ which can surround some of the bigger names, and look beyond those to the smaller guys (and girls). Try to read what others are saying about them, or attend some tasting sessions. Or, get to know some of the winemakers we at Elden Selections have come to work with and consider our friends. We stock their wines in our shop at Burgundywine.com. Some of them who did very well in 2016 and whose wines deserve your interest are:

• Domaine Potinet-­Ampeau: Vincent, the fifth-­generation producer uses – as you might expect – very traditional methods, on old vines. His family were in fact among the first to start exporting to the American market back in the 1920s, a tradition which we are keeping alive to this day! Most things are done by hand, no herbicides are used. Most of their bottles go to export or for private clients, but you can get them from BurgundyWine.com. Try the Puligny Montrachet 2016 – one of the finest names in white wines anywhere in the world, the appellation is known for its purity and finesse – elegant, floral, fruity and with a great backbone of acidity. If red wine is your thing, then their Monthelie 1er Cru 'Champs Fulliots' 2016 needs to be tried as it is really an undiscovered gem which not many folks are familiar with. Spicy, generous, dense and a violet finish reminiscent of Volnay.

• Domaine Marchand­-Tawse: this producer’s story had an incredible beginning, when 22 year­old Pascal Marchand – of French­Canadian descent – took over the Clos des Epeneaux in Pommard. He guided it to prominence, and then moved on to bigger things in many different wineries, ultimately working as a team with Moray Tawse from Canada, and creating the new Maison Marchand-­Tawse in 2011. We offer you their 3 pack of Marchand-­Tawse Vosne Romanee 1er Cru 'Les Petits Monts' 2016 ­ and what a package it is! It impresses with its deep color and nose where you get bunches of dark fruits, complex and fresh. Even better, we include ground shipping too.

Don’t forget – if you want to search our shop for wines of a particular vintage, all you need do is type in the vintage year in the free text box at the top and hit enter. All the wines of that year that we still have in stock will be displayed. But don’t be surprised if some have sold out – they don’t tend to stick around for long!

Try the 2016 Burgundy Vintage as Our Guests at Domaine de Cromey

Finally, why not come to us as our guests and enjoy your 2016 Burgundy vintage wines here? We’re open for bookings at Domaine de Cromey, and best of all is our purpose ­built tasting room which you’ll have the use of as our guests. Imagine living like lords and ladies of the manor – for that’s what the Cromey ethos is – where every want and need is catered for. You’ll be making lifelong memories every day – whether its meeting new friends and winemakers, having a Burgundy house party with your family, doing a hot air balloon trip, trying some of the best cycle routes in the world or sampling the fabulous cuisine on offer here courtesy of Ellie and her enchanting gardens around the estate. To read more, simply click this link.

You’ll find lots more interesting articles on Burgundy wine, winemakers and events coming up at our Burgundywine.com blog. And did you know Domaine de Cromey has its own Burgundy Vacation blog too? Here you can find the latest recipes, history blogs and updates on how our very own Cromey wines are coming along. Then there is our fabulous Burgundy Wine Club, and our Library Club – both open for members like you now!