La Roche-Vineuse "Les Cras" 2016

There is a mildly phenolic character (olive oil-like) to the citrus and floral aromas that precede the intense and beautifully delineated flavors that possess real finishing drive on the markedly dry, complex and persistent finale. This too would make a first-rate choice for an all-around house white

There are a lot of changes happening at this domaine as Oliver Merlin confirmed what he told me last year that he is retiring and will be replaced by his two sons Paul and his older brother Théo. Merlin explained that he would be around to help out and offer advice but the next generation was ready to ascend to the helm of the domaine. Secondly, an agreement was signed such that the vineyard area farmed will increase by another 8 ha to 22.5 ha as of 2018 and thus purchases of fruit will diminish substantially thereafter. With respect to the 2016 vintage, Merlin reported that "compared to many of our neighbors to the north, we suffered neither frost nor hail damage although the mildew pressure was redoubtable but even so, we brought in reasonable yields for once. The fruit was clean and ripe with potential alcohols ranging from 12.7 to 13.5%. I really like 2016 as it's a vintage that puts the underlying terroir in sharp relief, indeed I would describe the wines as classic." Merlin indicated that his Beaujolais were vinified with 100% whole clusters. Unfortunately I found quite a bit of brett-like characters to them and cannot recommend them though I was very favorably impressed by the whites.