After the Bachelet, here is also some oak, but rather than a smothering sweetness, it’s delivered with a spicy element that is more than amply buffered by a growing, crooning floral aromatic – perfect violets. The last drops in the glass offer a beautiful ‘come-hither’ red fruit. In the mouth there is sweetness, but the acidity urges you into the mid-palate where you have the impression that the wines bursts further into life. Long with a mineral end-note. I might buy a magnum or two for rainy day – if I’m not too late!

Medium colour. Heavy floral notes that are accented with toffee mainly obscure a pure red fruit note – but occasionally it shines through. In the mouth it’s currently a bit disjointed, that said, all the pieces are pretty good – good volume, background tannins and tasty fruit that’s edged with licorice as it slips into the finish. Not a bit tight, but not showing well either. The last glass is reserved for day 2 and it’s far less the roller-coaster of the previous day. Still the ‘value’ wine of the T-B range.

Medium colour. A clear, if not stomach churning, vintage character, below is a deep, dark and slightly sweet fruit base. The combination of acidity and faintly astringent tannin have a not too mouth-puckering affect, and the texture is quite interesting. The fruit has just enough sweetness to deliver a level of balance.

Medium colour. A high-toned and floral nose backed with a creamy edge. Sweet fruit with good concentration and a very nice acid/tannin balance. Good length – as usual I like this.

Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. A deep and impressive nose that’s edged with dark cherry and darker oak. The palate is very well concentrated, soft tannin and excellent acidity. The fruit is dark shaded, buttressed by oak flavour and has a nice creamy medium length. Very, very good.

Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. Wide, sweet and interesting on the rather yummy nose. There’s plenty of grainy tannin, but it doesn’t overwhelm the lovely fruit background that slides slowly into a good, less obviously creamy and oak inflected finish than the 1er Lavières. I almost always like this cuvée and here’s another to add to the list!

Deep cherry-red. The nose is quite super; a deep and forward mix of black and red cherry over subtly creamy oak. Depth, concentration and velvety texture, pushed by the mouthwatering acidity this is very long. There’s still a littly oaky bitterness on the finish, another 2-3 years and I think this will be absorbed. Despite the open nose there’s a real brooding sense of character to this wine. Top-notch Beaune that will amply repay cellar time.

Medium ruby-red. A nose that’s wide and relatively high-toned, just a slight estery edge over faint, warm, ripe red fruit. The palate is soft and light with sweet red fruit, even a hint of oranges going into the finish. From a flavour perspective, this actually showing quite a bit of maturity. Lighter and more elegant than many Tollot wines, but it’s made in a very sympathetic way, as in this case there is no oak character at all. Very tasty, but not a wine for the ages…

Medium, medium-plus ruby-red. A nose of wide and sweet red fruit with just a suggestion of high-toned fresh mint. The impact is very up-front and indeed front-end loaded, slowly fading through the mid-palate and finish but the finish holds well. There is good ripeness and a nicely accessible presentation. A diminuendo of a wine, no hard edges, though not much structure either, yet very nice aromatics indeed. Still no rush to consume.

Deep cherry-red. The nose starts a little foisty – sulfurous funk, not taint – some oak too. Just a few minutes of aeration and it is much cleaner; there is width and a mix of savoury and tight red & black fruit elements and some oak, clearly 2003 from the aromatics. Quite dense vs the other vintages, relatively low acidity but there’s a very sneaky length. The texture is actually very good, there are plenty of grainy tannins but they are hidden behind the concentrated fruit. It’s not my favoured style but it has been executed very, very well. The oak whilst ever-present eventually gives a slightly black-olive edge to the wine.

Medium ruby-red. The nose starts bright and red, powdery fruit with currently just a little savoury undertow, shows a nice core of intensity. Lovely texture, perfect acidity and good mid-palate intensity. The acidity elongates the finish though here lies the only negative, just a little bitterness at the very end. I expect that this is a transitory oak effect that will improve. An xcellent wine I think.

(From magnum) A deep core of colour that’s just holding onto the last trace of cherry-red. Aromaticly this is both wide and deep – the high notes are a little floral and the depth is of red jam tarts. The palate has good density yet somehow remains rather compact. The texture has just an edge of fat and plenty of tannin though it’s quite fine for a Savigny. The fruit is black-edged and really does hang-on very well in the finish. Certainly young, but lots of potential – everyone enjoyed this wine – three more were ordered for the cellar but they had sold out!