Clos de Tart, Grand Cru 2016

Neal Martin 99+/100 - The 2016 Clos de Tart Grand Cru is the first year farmed biodynamically. This was completely breathtaking in barrel, and now, in bottle, nothing has changed in that respect. It has an ineffably complex bouquet, not as intense as it showed in barrel yet extremely deep and cerebral, black fruit mingling with forest floor, crushed stone and a touch of sea spray. The palate is perfectly balanced with a deceivingly understated entry, before a wave of black and red fruit crashes over the senses. It is framed by supremely fine tannin, the intensity building toward a crescendo as it fans out. The aftertaste is unbelievably long, remaining in the mouth 60 seconds after the wine has departed. The best ever - simple as that.

William Kelley 97/100 – The superb 2016 Clos de Tart Grand Cru confirms the promise it showed from barrel, unfurling in the glass with a striking bouquet of raspberries, rose petals, blood orange, black tea, spices and smoked meats. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, pure and ample, with a deep core of vibrant, searingly intense fruit that entirely cloaks its structuring chassis of satiny tannin, concluding with a long and captivatingly floral finish. More elegant and transparent than the richer and fleshier 2015, this is an exceptional vintage for Clos de Tart.