93+ Since fully 1.5 hectares of vines produced a mere four barrels of wine, it's no surprise that the 2016 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots is preternaturally concentrated, and tasted blind I mistook it for the domaine's Cailles. Unfurling in the glass with notes of rose petals, violets, orange rind and ripe cherries, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and strikingly intense, structured around rich, velvety tannins that caress the palate, and concluding with a long, beautifully lively finish. Readers who can find a few bottles shouldn't hesitate. - William Kelley

(90-92) A more deeply pitched nose offers up notes of plum, dark raspberry and more evident earth and spice influences. The sleek and mineral-inflected flavors possess a lovely underlying tension while delivering fine depth and persistence on the firm, moderately austere and balanced finale.

The Chaignots is attractive in 2016, its aromas of cassis, myrtille and game bird framed by a creamy application of spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is supple, rich and full-bodied, with good energy and a deep, sapid core of fruit.