2016 Saint-Joseph Les Lauves

Laure Colombo and her mother, Anne, said that 2016 is a vintage that will be looked back upon as “a classic” for the site expression, energy, clarity and balance of the wines. “These are not for people who want a massive Cornas,” Laure Colombo said. “For that they should be looking at 2017 and definitely 2015, if they are patient enough for that structured style.” The Colombo wines have always emphasized power, and nothing in that regard has changed since Laure began taking the lead here. What has changed is that the wines have a less assertive oak expression than in the past, and they are also lighter on their feet and less tannic, all of which means wines that are approachable much younger than those from the 2000s and before. I’d also add that those older vintages have held up extremely well and even improved, as recent bottles from 1988, 1989 and 1990, from my own cellar, have demonstrated over the last year.

As Laure Colombo pours her family’s 2016s she says they might surprise people with their ability to age. “It’s normal to compare a vintage to the one before or after it but, 2015 is such a unique year that it’s not realistic to compare it to 2016.” They are so different, “and if you look at ’16 next to ’15 the 2016s are going to appear smaller-scaled” while they really should be appreciated “for their finesse, a quality that few would attribute to the ’15s.”