Medium colour. The nose has depth and width – there’s still some fruit and sweetness of fruit, turned-over leaves and a hint of meat. There is a slight cushioning to texture and still a little velvet from the tannin – lovely acidity flows through the core of the wine. There’s plenty of flavour here, perhaps becoming a little higher-toned in the mid-palate but it’s not about to fall off a cliff. Very smooth, very yum…

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!

From chalky-soil, south facing 40 year-old vines. A soft and quite beautiful red fruit compote – gorgeous. Penetrating flavours, hints of mineral/wood, red fruit – this is quite linear but very approachable – very lovely.

Medium, medium-plus colour. Deep red and black-skinned cherries under faint wood spice, the last drops provide a lovely reccurrant note. Lithe, lovely acidity, ripe fruit and good good mid-palate flavour. The tannin is relatively background. Not the density of a Bouchard Père or Tollot-Beaut Lavières, but this is a lovely middle-weight.

The aromatics don’t go as deep as the ‘Clous’ but they show lots of higher-toned width and with a suggestion of baked tart to the red fruit. Again super texture and depth. Bursts with an extra dimension of fruit on the mid-palate before slowly fading.

From an approximately 1 hectare plot on the mid-slope. Darker skinned fruit on the nose, but still red. A nice balance in the mouth with additional soft tannin, very good acidity and a lingering finish. Yum.

Medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour. The nose shows red and black fruit, but more to the ‘black side’, there is also an underlying note of (medium) oak toast – not overpowering (even to this palate) but consistent for the time the bottle is consumed. The palate is lithe and interesting with good length, without ever generating getting into gear. Good wine for sure, but disappointing vs my initial note.

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.

(Magnum) This smells a little older than its years, but I have to say it smells wonderful – just wide, understated complexity. The palate doesn’t quite live up to the early billing as the main component is astringent grainy tannin. That the nose is so far ahead of the palate is a little worrysome and would dissuade me from looking for bottles, but if you have some, keep them locked for now.

With almost 4 hectares of vines, Bouchard P&F own close to one quarter of this vineyard. Bottled at the beginning of February (only 3 weeks before this note), this wine initially shows an understated and nicely floral aspect, slowly it builds on flashes of dark fruit and eventually some caramel barrel notes. Sweeter fruit than the previous wines, again with some grain to the tannin, but the purity of the fruit presentation is excellent as it expands over the mid-palate. I will check a few prices as this could be quite a buy.

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.