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2010 Philippe Livera (Domaine Tilleuls), Gevrey Chambertin En Champ Deep colour. The nose starts with a deep waft of cushioned, dark oak – it really needs about 30 minutes for this to fade to ‘acceptable’ for my palate – but by which time, the wine is much more than acceptable! A dark cherry aroma is slowly allowed to take centre stage as the oak fades. Very understated fine tannin and beautiful acidity support dark, intense and rather elegant (for Gevrey) flavours. There’s a succulence to the mid-palate fruit-flavour that almost rushes you into taking another sip. The finishing note is part mineral, part bitter oak but quite attractive. Excellent villages! Rebuy – Yes

Well, it’s almost Christmas, so why not another one! Overall, I have a preference for the 1996 today… 2002 Pierre Damoy, Chapelle-Chambertin Medium-plus colour. The nose starts with a blast of reduction, but it doesn’t stick around for very long. What remains is a heavy whole cluster aroma that twists and turns with almonds and warm Bakewell tart. In the mouth this has a strong core of flavour but perhaps the outlying flavours are a little more diffuse – still the acidity and concentration are rather good. The tannin is completely understated but searching for it seems to pronounce the whole cluster flavours. A wine that wears its fermentation on its sleeve – but it is rather good! Rebuy – Yes

Always good to check in on an old vintage to see how things are going – rather well for 1996 GCs if this is anything to go by… 1996 Pierre Damoy, Chapelle-Chambertin Medium-plus colour. Deep, almost liqueur nose, slowly developing leaf note stays very much in the background – eventually something more beefy presents itself, perhaps brett, but we’d finished most of it before then Padded, concentrated, a lovely core of intense fruit – there is even a floral element in there that implies whole clusters. The acidity is uplifting, but not obviously of 1996. Very understated tannin. This is a full and frank wine that entertaining as it is today, still needs 4-5 years I think – hopefully that brett doesn’t get worse! Rebuy [....]

2010 Jean-Marc Pillot, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Clos St.Jean Medium-plus colour. High-toned dark fruit with herbs – seems quite Chassagne. If the nose hints at Chassagne, the flavours shout it – sweet dark fruit with a spicy depth and eventually a little barrel flavour as you hit the end of the mid-palate into the finish. Very good length too. Actually, it’s so Chassagne that I’d wait at least a year or two to tone it down – but very tasty it is… Rebuy – Yes