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It’s 3 or 4 years since I paid this a visit, so… 1999 Guy Castagnier, Clos de la Roche Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is assertive, offering a depth of graphite mineral, very faint pyrazine and a lovely acid-cherry top note – creep up on the glass (don’t swirl!) and you have a heavier creamy note to add to the fruit and a subtle violet floral note too. Last time out, I thought this a very middle-weight wine, but the concentration and intensity seem quite obvious today; there’s dark red, quite fresh, fruit in the mid-palate and a slowly lingering finish. The lovely acid balance of the vintage is here, and still plenty of ripe tannin too – should you wish to search it out. [....]

It’s fair to say that the market has moved on significantly since I bought these bottles; they were expensive even back then, but now they’ve reached a level where I’ve no interest whatsoever to chase them – but that doesn’t mean that I’m not interested in those that still I own I feel pretty proud of myself that these have rested, undisturbed, for ten years; being buried deep in the cellar always helps of-course! 1995 Dujac, Clos de la Roche My last bottle was opened about 10 years ago, and that was a little cloudy – but this isn’t – maybe it was a very fine tannin which has since flocculated and sunk. A very spongy cork breaks into many pieces – it doesn’t smell [....]

I’ve worked my way through a number of Livera’s 2010s, and frankly, they have all been outstanding – here’s another one for the pile. 2010 Philippe Livera (Domaine des Tilleuls), Côte de Nuits Villages Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has understated depth and a faint but fine red fruited top note. There’s no padding or any other extraneous make-up, just a frankly beguiling vivacity and a faintly, sweetly leaching acidity that delivers a wine with fine energy. Decently lingering flavour too. A wine that doesn’t crave your attention but makes its mark. Brilliant Côte de Nuits Villages. Rebuy – Yes I think I have a good idea what wine to compare this with tomorrow!

2002 des Varoilles, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoilles Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose starts with a hint of herb, a little leafy development, soil and some high-tones above – it leaves me with the expectation that the wine could be a little mouth-puckering. Actually, far from it; there is decent density and still good weight to the texture despite being in its ‘middle years’. The red fruit is ripe enough to offer a soothing sweet element that balances fine-grained tannins with a faint edge of bitterness. After 20 minutes the nose is rounding-out and augmented with a decent red fruit note, which now better reflects the flavours. This was very tasty as a baby and is still more than fit for purpose now – it [....]

2005 Barthod, Bourgogne Rouge Deeply coloured – and still young colour too. The nose shows a depth of very dark red fruit with a hint of musk – open, primary and rather attractive. Take a sip and you are met with much more power than any regional wine should offer; young fruit, almost liqueur in style, fine acidity and clearly plenty of submerged tannin. Chambolle in 2005 was for me a village where the basic communal wines were easily of 1er cru (also communal!) status – it seems their bourgognes also leaped a level. Painfully young, but totally exceptional for what it is… Rebuy – Yes

Last time I opened one of these – which was easily 10 years ago – it was that rare wine that was completely closed for business; in every respect you would have found more enjoyment in a Bourgogne Rouge. Let us have another try… 1996 René Engel, Grands-Echézeaux Tending to a watery rim, but the colour remains saturated at its core. Very, very understated though deep aromas of soil, graphite and a faint spice – and you have to swirl to find those! In the mouth this wine is still a baby; it’s intense with a quickly growing base of tannin – the acidity also grows quickly, focusing the intensity, though also offering that faintly metallic aspect that is common in 96s. The mid-palate slowly [....]