Burgundy 2016 – S–Z

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JR: See the full guide to our coverage of Burgundy's 2016 vintage. 

CHÂTEAU DE SANTENAY, Santenay
RH: Reliable and enjoyable, if not thrilling.

Ch de Santenay, Le Roc Blanc 2016 Mercurey

Spicier than their Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, with pithy green-apple fruit and lemon zest freshening the finish. Some salty character giving a savoury aftertaste. (RH)

Drink
2018
2022
£24.99 imported by Liberty Wines
16.5

Ch de Santenay, En Vesvau 2016 St-Aubin

Rich spices and creamy texture with reasonably full body and attractive flinty notes on the finish. More fleshy than zingy, but doesn't lack refreshment. (RH)

Drink
2018
2024
£31.99 imported by Liberty Wines
16.5

Ch de Santenay 2016 Mercurey

Candied blackberry fruit, light acidity, smoky notes and pliable tannin that is very easy-drinking. Enjoyably self-confident fruit intensity on the palate and finish. (RH)

Drink
2019
2029
£TBC imported by Liberty Wines
16.5

Ch de Santenay, Les Puillets Premier Cru 2016 Mercurey

Something a bit chemical about this nose, and there's a bitter herbal bite to the palate. Plenty of black fruit, but there seems to be a harshness to this which is incongruous. I prefer their villages Mercurey. (RH)

Drink
2018
2026
£31.99 imported by Liberty Wines
16

DOMAINE SAUMAIZE-MICHELIN, Vergisson
JH: Great range of distinctive, terroir-driven wines that combine bright fruit with invitingly rich texture.  

Dom Saumaize-Michelin, Sur la Roche 2016 Mâcon-Vergisson

Oak shows on the nose here in gentle mealy spice. Lovely creamy palate shot through with cool, citrus freshness. Perfect balance between fruit and winemaking. Long finish. (JH)

Drink
2019
2024
£164 per case of 12 ib Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16.5

Dom Saumaize-Michelin 2016 Viré-Clessé

Less expressive on the nose than Sur La Roche Mâcon-Vergisson from the same domaine, and a little more cedary. Marked cedary character on the palate, lean but not mean, tight and fresh with lots of presence in the mouth, breadth and a terrific arrow-like freshness to a long finish. Very good. GV (JH)

Drink
2020
2026
£174 per case of 12 ib Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16.5

Dom Saumaize-Michelin 2016 Mâcon-Villages

Cool, herbal freshness. Stony and dusty. Excellent combination of breadth and texture on the palate and a tight, lively freshness. Just what Mâcon should be. A touch of spice on the zesty finish. (JH)

Drink
2018
2022
£210 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16

Dom Saumaize-Michelin 2016 St-Véran

Smells as if there is more deliberate oak influence here than in the Mâcon-Villages yet there’s also a steely precision to the aroma. Deep, mildly chewy and with a fresh citrus and spice finish. GV (JH)

Drink
2018
2022
£216 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16.5

Dom Saumaize-Michelin 2016 Pouilly-Fuissé

Riper fruit on the nose – there’s citrus but also some just-ripe pineapple. Juicy, bright and complete, the finish lengthened by a creamy texture and finely balanced acidity. (JH)

Drink
2018
2024
£264 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16.5

Dom Saumaize-Michelin, Pentacrine 2016 Pouilly-Fuissé

That rounded character of discreet oak influence and just a touch smokily reductive. Deep, orange-scented on the palate, with an almost chewy texture and impressive length. Brilliant freshness all entwined with the fruit and texture. GV (JH)

Drink
2019
2026
£276 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
17

Dom Saumaize-Michelin, Les Ronchevats 2016 Pouilly-Fuissé

Clay soil.
Ripe, creamy citrus aroma but still has a dusty mineral note. Firm and full in the mouth, broad but less intense thant the Vignes Blanches. Clean, fresh cedary finish. (JH)

Drink
2019
2025
£244 per case of 12 ib Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16.5

Dom Saumaize-Michelin, Clos sur la Roche 2016 Pouilly-Fuissé

Calcareous with very shallow topsoil.
More obviously stony on the nose than the Ronchevats but also brighter citrus fruit. Intense, chalky textured and long. Elegant and still creamy on the finish. Creamy enough to enjoy soon but with the core of fruit and freshness for a long life. (JH)

Drink
2019
2026
£244 per case of 12 ib Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
17
 

ÉTIENNE SAUZET, Puligny-Montrachet
JR: A very competent set of wines with lots of easy appeal but good crispness too. 

Étienne Sauzet, La Tufera 2016 Bourgogne

Very pale. Lightly toasty but distinctly sweet too. Easy to appreciate! Just a tad simple. But manna for airline and restaurant buyers. A little chewy on the end.

Drink
2020
2025
£195 per case of 12 ib Justerini & Brooks
16
 

DOMAINE SEGUIN-MANUEL, Beaune
RH: Rather wild and raw – perhaps in need of bottle age?

Seguin-Manuel, Aux Communes 2016 Vosne-Romanée

Cask sample. High oak scent on the nose, but there is fruit to back it up on the palate, albeit of the raw and lean variety. Strangely tight and austere to finish. (RH)

Drink
2022
2037
£395 per case of 12 ib Haynes Hanson & Clark
15.5

Seguin-Manuel, Grand Cru 2016 Corton-Le Rognet et Corton

Cask sample. Loads of spicy oak on the nose – this has been given the full grand cru treatment – and the fruit is suitably ripe, though they don’t knit together brilliantly. Full and long, but disjointed. (RH)

Drink
2020
2030
£475 per case of 6 ib Haynes Hanson & Clark
16.5

Seguin-Manuel, Grand Cru 2016 Charmes-Chambertin

Cask sample. Enjoyable fruit complexity on the nose with strong toasty oak influence. More integrated than their Corton-Le Rognet, but there are better buys at the price. (RH)

Drink
2024
2044
£625 per case of 6 ib Haynes Hanson & Clark
17

DOMAINE SÉGUINOT-BORDET, Maligny 

Dom Séguinot-Bordet Chardonnay 2016 Bourgogne

Light citrus, not particularly expressive. Very crisp, light body and just a very slight creaminess in the texture of the finish. A bit too tart to drink on its own. (JH)

12.5%
Drink
2017
2019
£174 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
15

Dom Séguinot-Bordet 2016 Petit Chablis

Screwcap. Dusty/stony nose. Bright, fresh, zesty. Mouth-watering but in balance. Almost chewy on the finish. (JH)

12.5%
Drink
2017
2019
£168 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
15.5

Dom Séguinot-Bordet 2016 Chablis

Screwcap. Even more stony in aroma than the Petit Chablis. Lemon freshness and only a touch more intensity than in the Petit Chablis – seems slightly softer though, and a bit longer. (JH)

12.5%
Drink
2018
2022
£192 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16

Dom Séguinot-Bordet, Fourchaume Premier Cru 2016 Chablis

More expressive on the nose, with a gentle woody spice underpinning the fruit. Steely and deep rather than rich. Then pretty tart on the finish but with sufficient balance to age well in bottle. (JH)

13%
Drink
2019
2026
£270 per case of 12 Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16.5

Dom Séguinot-Bordet, Preuses 2016 Chablis Grand Cru

Unoaked. Gently creamy/leesy nose, stony citrus. Subtle and nicely dusty. More grapefruit on the palate, tangy and crisp and that same stony character. Very precise, tight and mouth-watering, the crisp acidity balanced by the lees texture. (JH)

Drink
2021
2030
£424 per case of 12 ib Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
17

Dom Séguinot-Bordet, Vaudésir 2016 Chablis Grand Cru

Aged in 500-litre oak.
More mealy on the nose than the Preuses, thanks to the oak, a little bit yeasty. This seems to have less concentration at the core but it is fuller in the mouth thanks to the oak. This is broader but has less finesse than the Preuses and perhaps less ageing potential? (JH)

Drink
2021
2027
£364 per case of 12 ib Montrachet Fine Wine Merchants
16.5
 

DOMAINE SÉRAFIN PÈRE ET FILS, Gevrey-Chambertin
JR: Fair quality and notable density. 

DOMAINE ANNE ET HERVÉ SIGAUT...