2016 Domaine Joseph Roty Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Fontenys"

Reminiscent of the domaine's excellent 2010, the 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Fontenys displays a reserved bouquet of cassis, wild plums, licorice, candied peel, espresso roast and grilled meats, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate, with tangy acids, a concentrated core of fruit and rich structuring tannins, concluding with a bright finish. This extensive tasting with affable eleventh-generation vigneron Pierre-Jean Roty—who took the helm at this discrete family owned domaine following his brother's untimely passing in 2015—took in vintages 2017 and 2016. Both are successful years for this important estate, the 2017s supple and charming, gaining in depth and dimension as one ascends the appellation hierarchy; the 2016s pure and vibrant, evoking the 2010s, with brighter acids and greater concentration than the more open-knit 2017s. Roty fans will be familiar with the approach: a high proportion of old vines; minimal use of chemical treatments and worked soils in the vineyards; destemmed grapes, fermented in concrete tanks; and élevage in generous percentages of smoky new oak for 15-16 months. My sense is that today's wines are suppler than the Roty wines of yesteryear. They're less forbidding in their youth than their formidable reputation might suggest: even the grands crus boast such generosity of fruit that their rich structuring tannins are frequently concealed. But they appear to develop just as gracefully as ever. Readers shouldn't hesit