Antoine on 2016:
“And 2016 has a different style, it’s fresh and classic – we may have low volume, but the wine is very fine. Possibly. it will be easy to drink young – a little like 2013 – but of-course there will be no reason to rush! How much frost really depended on the individual parcel; Blagny wasn’t frosted, but for the rest, we lost anywhere between 30 and 75%. The area of Tillets was about 30% less, for instance, but it also depended on the age and health of particular vines. But globally we lost 50% of our volume…
“Bottling won’t be before April or May. 2015 was a little shorter elevage, but this is a vintage that will benefit from time on the lees – in tank. Maybe for as much as 6 to 8 months. 2016 is not really a vintage of richness, it’s a classic vintage of finesse and clarity.”
2016 Meursault En La Barre
“At 1.3 hectares, this is the biggest appellation here – but 70% was lost to frost. 1981 was the the last big frost here, but it definitely wasn’t as bad as 2016.”
Just a little more weight of aroma, ginger-spiced. More width, again a little structure that says ‘wait,’ but really super mid-palate complexity and salinity. Super wine.
Critical Acclaim:
Vinous Media 90-92
The 2019 Meursault En La Barre is stricter and better focused than the Les Tillets this year. There is fine mineralité here, and a discreet sea spray note comes through with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, good depth and grip and just a bit of new oak needing to be assimilated on the finish.
