Visitors at home on Sunday, and given that I already had some bottles ready for opening and two were from an ‘easier’ vintage to taste – 1997 – I went that route.

First, Pavolet’s Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Dominodes . Warm, inviting, now starting to develop some chocolate flavours and aromas, no awkward edges. This wine has really entered its early plateau of maturity – it will clearly hold for another 10+ years. Super.

To follow, Cathiard’s Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Malconsorts . This was altogether a different kettle of fish. I’ve had some lovely open and friendly bottles from this case, but this wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t unfriendly, rather it was uncommunicative. Clearly cut from the same vintage cloth as the Pavelot, but tighter in all aspects – no plateau of maturity here. A little more intense in the mid-palate, but as a pure object of pleasure, bettered by the Pavelot today.

Both eminently drinkable, but it makes me laugh when so many people by-pass Savigny – more for me I suppose…