2016 Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot Aloxe-Corton, Cote de Beaune, France

Producer note: Pavelot noted that 2016 "gave us tiny quantities but good quality. We were off fully 80% and there will be no Lavières or Serpentières though by contrast, our vines in Bressandes suffered almost no damage. Because the crop loads were so low, the vines were able to fully ripen the fruit and in particular the skins were quite thick. As such the trick with the vinifications was to get the extractions right as it would be been very easy to over-extract the tannins so I did very little punching down. I like the style as it's classic Burgundy."

Tasting note: Here too there is just enough wood to remark upon framing the ripe and fresh liqueur-like aromas of dark berries, earth and a whiff of spice. There is better volume and vibrancy to the medium-bodied flavors that are caressing yet powerful while delivering solid persistence on the rustic, muscular and youthfully austere finish. This moderately chewy effort isn't hard but it flirts with it.