2016 Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley Pommard 1er Les Rugiens, Cote de Beaune, Burgundy

from the steep northernmost part of Rugiens-Haut on thin soil over the mother rock; Bouley vinified this wine with an unusually high 30% whole clusters because the seeds were so dark in 2016): Full red. Sappy, aromatic nose combines red raspberry, cherry and smoky minerality. The silkiest and smoothest of these 2016s but with its vibrant cherry and red berry flavors given precision and lift by a firm spine of calcaire minerality. Intense, sweet and utterly suave wine with a mounting finish featuring noble tannins that reach the front teeth. This is typically a very crystalline style of wine (without the volume of Rugiens-Bas) thanks to its rocky energy, and in 2016 it maintains juiciness and precision without coming off as austere. As with the family's holding in Volnay Caillerets, these wines were mostly spared by the frost. 

92-94 points Steven Tanzer  Vinous.com

A compositionally similar if slightly less obviously wooded nose precedes exceptionally rich, sleek and polished large-scaled flavors that are shaped by slightly finer tannins as well as a markedly more evident mineral streak that runs the length of the wine. While not quite as dense, the excellent intensity does a slow build from the mid-palate all the way to the explosive finish and this too should age well. *outstanding*

91-93 points Allen Meadows - Burghound

The 2016 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens (from "Rugiens-Haut") includes 30% whole bunch, whereas Thomas usually add no stems. He just found that the fruit was very ripe and the seeds almost back in color…so why not? Matured in 20% new oak, it has a crisp, slightly stemmy bouquet, very fresh with damp undergrowth and woodland scents filtering through the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, quite linear and poised, darker fruit than expected with quite a stern but refreshingly saline finish that needs to show a little more charm. I am intrigued to see how this ages, and it may well surpass my banded score. 

90-92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate