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Discover the best wines of the 2016 vintage. Here are the elite wines of this great vintage.

> Buy Great Wines from the 2016 vintage

2016 wines at the best prices

Ranking of the greatest French wines of 2016

Here are the best millesime wines 2016 with the highest ratings on the Wine Advocate website, Robert Parker's team:

100/100 Wine Advocate: best wines of 2016

 

99/100 Wine Advocate: excellent 2016 wines

  • Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Hommage à Jacques Perrin" (99+/100)
  • Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru (99+/100)
  • Domaine Leroy Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
  • Domaine Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru
  • Château Margaux
  • Clos Saint-Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sanctus Sanctorum
  • Château Ausone
  • Dugat-Py Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
  • Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf du Pâpe "Tribute to Jacques Perrin
  • Domaine Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf du Pape "Not for you" (98-100/100)
  • Domaine Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf du Pape "Réserve des 2 frères
  • Saint-Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Charles Giraud Collection
  • Domaine d'Auvenay Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or
  • Domaine La Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Pure
  • Guigal Côte-Rôtie "La Landonne
  • Guigal Côte-Rôtie "La Doriane
  • Lafite-Rothschild
  • Lafleur
  • Les Cailloux Lucien et André runel Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée Centenaire" (98-100/100)
  • M. Chapoutier Ermitage "L'Ermite
  • Montrose
  • Pavia (98-100/100)
  • Trotanoy

 

98+/100 Wine Advocate: great wines of 2016

  • Château Angélus
  • Château Canon
  • La Conseillante
  • The Haut-Brion Mission
  • Le Pin
  • Palmer
  • Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

98/100 Wine Advocate: great wines of 2016

  • Albert Boxler Riesling Grand Cru Brand Kirchberg
  • Albert Boxler Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg Eckberg
  • Leroy Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes
  • Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru
  • Raymond Usseglio Châteauneuf du Pape "La Part des Anges
  • Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie 'La Cote Blonde
  • Domaine d'Auvenay Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
  • Domaine d'Auvenay Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
  • Domaine de La Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape "La Reine des Bois
  • Chave Hermitage white
  • Clos St Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deux Ex Machina
  • Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis
  • Domaine de La Romanée Conti La Tâche Grand Cru
  • Ducru-Beaucaillou
  • Haut-Bailly
  • Clinet Church
  • Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite White
  • Pontet Canet
  • René Rostaing Côte-Rôtie La Cote Blonde
  • Smith-Haut-Lafitte
  • Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru (97-99/100)
  • Georges Roumier Musigny Grand Cru (97-99/100)
  • Hubert Lignier Clos de La Roche Grand Cru (97-99/100)
  • Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque (97-99/100)
  • Jean-Paul & Corinne Jamet Côte-Rôtie Cote Brune (97-99/100)

 

Is 2016 a good vintage?

Is 2016 a vintage close to your heart? Is it a year of birth, a year of marriage or any other symbol that makes you want to offer or drink a wine from this year? Let us help you decipher this vintage and find the right bottle to suit your needs.

   

  • Vintage 2016 in BORDEAUX 

Visit vintage 2016 is an atypical vintage, which will have given Bordeaux winemakers a cold sweat. As the successor to a top-flight 2015 vintage, it will be hard to forget. Climatic conditions were highly contrasted, yet produced a second vintage of great quality. 

It was not all plain sailing, however, as the first part of the season was rained out, with twice the rainfall of the 2015 vintage. Because of this water, disease made its appearance and slowed the development of the vines. Winegrowers therefore saw an onslaught of rain over the first few months of the year, before the mild sun gradually set in. And therein lies the difficulty of vine management for the winegrower, for overnight not a drop of rain fell on the vineyard. Slowly, the sun took its place, giving way to a drought lasting several months. This could have been beneficial for the vineyard, but the winemakers were afraid of putting their vines under too much water stress. Not a drop of rain fell in the vineyard during the months of June, July and August. The weather was perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon. A grape variety that loves the sun and needs a long, slow ripening period to reach its peak. Fortunately, a few rains appeared in September to allow the grapes to develop properly without becoming too concentrated.

And it's quite naturally under a beating sun that the winegrowers will do their harvesting and bring in very healthy grapes. For red wines, the 2016 vintage is a super vintage that has no reason to be ashamed of 2015. Finer and more delicate, the 2016 vintage will sublimate Cabernet Sauvignon, which loves this excess of sunshine. The Left Bank will be a great success, but don't underestimate the Right Bank, which will benefit from a very rich, powerful Merlot that will need a few more years of ageing to regain its velvety texture.  

As far as white wines are concerned, the vintage was a great success, especially for dry wines. As for the sweet wines, they are of good quality, but lack a little gourmandise. 

If you'd like to discover this 2016 vintage, we invite you to age them for a few more years (we should start opening them between now and 2024) to allow the tannins to mellow. We have a very wide choice of great wines, some of them rated 100/100 by Parker, such as Petrus, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Cos d'Estournel, Château Margaux, ... Among the beautiful discoveries, we have Château Lamarzelle 2016owned by the Sioen family. The Château boasts 17 hectares on the high terraces of Saint-Emilion. Another highly successful wine from the 2016 vintage, the Château Dauzac 2016The 45-hectare estate, a Grand Cru Classé de 1855 in the Margaux appellation, is a top performer in this vintage. Rated 93/100 by Parker, the 71% of Carbernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot, will produce a fine, elegant wine in a few years' time.

   

  • Vintage 2016 in BOURGOGNE 

In many ways, the winegrowing profession is difficult, but passion often wins out over the difficulties encountered. This year, 2016, is a case in point, giving Burgundy's winegrowers a tough time of it. Its main enemy is the weather, and this time it's not going to be kind. Everyone remembers the photos and videos of winegrowers installing heaters to combat the cold. This was the case in April, when a terrible frost hit the Burgundy vineyards, leaving more than 30% of the vineyards on the ground, with more or less affected appellations. Added to this were "classic" climatic worries. Heavy rainfall left the vines very damp. As a result, diseases set in slowly, and the lack of sunshine in the first few months slowed down the vine cycle. The following months will be completely different, with plenty of sunshine overhead. June, July and August will be very hot months, when the vines will slowly gorge themselves with sugar and reach a beautiful ripeness. A few light rains in September will prevent too much water stress and bring balance to the grapes. All these complications will result in very low wine production, but with thick grape skins and small, concentrated berries. The 2016 vintage is therefore one of good quality, but scarce quantity. To choose from, the reds fared a little better this year. Côte de Nuits wines are of very good quality, true to form with opulent, powerful wines. On the Côte de Beaune, crispness and greediness are the order of the day, offering wines that can be enjoyed fairly quickly. As for the whites, you'll need to choose your wines carefully. 

In Chablis, give preference to the Grands Crus that were not too badly affected by the frost. They are of a very high standard, with good ageing potential. On the Côte de Beaune, the hot weather will have taken its toll on some properties, so you'll need to choose your wines carefully. Further south, the wines of the Mâconnais are of very good quality, surely the best value for money of this 2016 vintage, which is rare and therefore more expensive. 

Some very fine examples are available for sale on our site: 

Vosne Romanée 1er Cru les Chaumes 2016 by Daniel Rion Power and opulence characterize this bottle. Although these adjectives announce a very strong wine, after a few years it will be the roundness and richness on the palate that take over.

Mercurey 1er Cru Champs Martin 2016 by Château de Chamirey We haven't mentioned the Côte Chalonnaise in this description, but Pinot Noir wines there are very elegant. The Devillard family, specialists in this grape variety, offer a lovely red wine, complex and delicate. 

Corton Pougets Grand Cru 2016 by Domaine Louis Jadot Rated 95/100 by Parker, this wine magnificently combines the finesse of the grape variety and region with the power of its terroir. The result is a wine that is very dense on the palate, but with a supple finish. A very fine bottle to open in many years' time (be patient until at least 2026).

 

  • The 2016 VALLÉE DU RHÔNE Vintage 

Wines from the Rhone Valley are not to be outdone, and will succeed in coping with a previous vintage of very high quality. It has to be said that following the 2015 vintage is no mean feat, as the wines are so good. We are obliged to divide the Rhône wines in two for this vintage, as the quality of the wines from the North and South is different according to their color. 

Visit Northern Rhône ValleyAs in the rest of the French vineyard, the weather was rather complicated. A wet spring with lots of rain and a scorching summer with lots of sun. This weather, which was the same throughout France, was less severe in the north than in the south. As a result, red wines will be able to make up for lost time in the sunshine, but will nevertheless reach a good level of ripeness, without too much excess. Compared with the 2015 vintage, the reds will be a little more delicate and less concentrated, less powerful. However, they should not be sulked, as they are still very good. As for the whites, here on the contrary, the 2016s win the day. They are more complex, fresher and offer a lovely aromatic palette. The Saint-Joseph and Hermitage whites are simply magnificent. 

For Southern Rhône ValleyWe're hearing the same thing from a climatic point of view as the rest of France. However, the consequences were completely different from those in the north. The great success is to be attributed to the wines of Châteauneuf du Pape, which will have taken maximum advantage of this climate, which is very hot during the day to slowly increase their maturity, and the cool nights which bring the necessary balance to the wines to avoid being too heavy. A perfect climate for producing very powerful, ripe wines, but with silky, well-presented tannins. The other very good appellation will be Châteauneuf du Pape's neighbor, Gigondas, which will benefit from the same climatic advantages as its neighbor. As for the whites, they are of good quality and can be enjoyed more quickly.

Here, too, we have a very fine selection of wines from the 2016 vintage:

Côte Rôtie - La Côte blonde 2016 by Domaine Barge : This nature lover offers a powerful, highly aromatic wine.

Châteauneuf du Pape - "Val de Dieu" 2016 by Château de Vaudieu : This wine is composed mainly of Grenache, blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre, all of which spent over 16 months in barrel. You'll need to be patient before tasting this bottle, which releases notes of undergrowth, tobacco and black fruit after aging. 

Gigondas "Les hautes garrigues 2016" by Domaine Santa Duc : A great success for the vintage, this estate at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail offers a fantastic wine. Composed of 50% of Grenache and 50% of Mourvèdre, the latter will first spend 18 months in foudre before finishing in terracotta jars to refine their tannins. As you can see, a great deal of work is carried out in the cellars to offer you the best possible wine. 

 

 

  • Vintage 2016 in the rest of France 

The 2016 vintage spared no one in France, and this is even more the case in the vineyards of the Loire Valley which suffered 2 successive frosts in April. Apart from this incident, the rest of the year was similar to other vineyards. In these conditions, the best Loire appellations are Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny, essentially Cabernet Franc.

For the ChampagneIt's more or less the same story as for Burgundy. The black grapes fared better than the Chardonnays, which were badly affected by the water stress. The Chardonnays are flattering and fruity, and in a few years' time will offer attractive blended juices.

We finish on the Languedoc. You'll need to select your winegrowers and your bottles carefully, as the very powerful heat in the vineyards has sometimes completely stopped the development of the vines. Too much heat kills heat... These wines are too alcoholic, unbalanced and lack substance. The best winemakers, on the other hand, have succeeded in producing fine, richly-flavored wines.

 

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