Tasting Notes
Neal Martin 93
The 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru has an intense bouquet with vivacious blackberry, raspberry and rose petal scents that just blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin and plenty of graphite infused black fruit. A fresh and quite tensile finish demonstrates great precision and persistence. Classy and long term, but I would like to see more of the verve that it displayed copiously in barrel. Tasted at the Domaine.
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2045
Vinous 91-94
(25% vendange entier; this parcel is located next to Lignier’s Clos de la Roche but the soil is more sandy and less rocky): Good dark red. Complex aromas of cherry, raspberry, menthol and licorice complicated by a suggestion of saline minerality. Dense, deep, sappy wine with lovely finesse of texture but also an impression of power to its flavors of plum, cherry and salty minerals. This is balanced from the start but has the stuffing to age slowly. (Incidentally, there’s no more Gevrey-Chambertin La Perriere, as the vineyard owner sold these vines after a ten-year fermage arrangement with the Ligniers expired.)
Wine Advocate 95
The 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes comes from a parcel just south of Clos de la Roche that was planted in 1957. It has a very subtle bouquet at first, gradually unfurling to reveal vibrant red berry fruit, fern, iris and bay leaf scents, later just a distant tang of iron rust. The palate is medium-bodied, the one-third whole-bunch fruit beautifully subsumed into the fabric of this Gevrey with a supple, quite fleshy finish belying the backbone underneath. Superb.
Anticipated maturity: 2021-2045
JancisRobinson.com 16.5++
1957 vines. Near Morey s Monts Luisants
but different soil with some sand. Dark crimson. Rich, ripe nose. Lots of
energy and tension in here. Very pure and racy – no sweet fruit, mainly
structure.
Anticipated maturity: 2024-2038
