Wines with friends on Saturday – that I mainly managed to finish on the Sunday! Just a few reminisces…

The bubbles came from Perrier-Jouet, just the normal (gold label) NV, but this particular bottle was laid-up in the cellar for at least the last 6-7 years – the nose was okay but not the best, yet it was a bit of a stunner in the mouth! Next was one of my few remaining St.Aubin Dents du Chiens from Gilles Bouton, a 2010 and it was on great form. I think I bought about 4 mixed cases of St.Aubin 1er 10s from Gilles as my ‘daily drivers’ and just one more bottle lies in the cellar – I’ve had only one sub-standard bottle, and that was the very first!

Two Malconsorts followed; the 2002 from Potel is rather evolved now, classically wild Malconsorts though. That said, I think (my bottles) were a little nicer when younger. Still this showed well. The last was the 2003 Malconsorts from Clos Frantin, and this showed brilliantly. The fruit is broader and, of-course, riper but the overall impression, blind, would have been of a jump to a grand cru wine after the Potel, as opposed to simply a hot vintage. Fresh, complex, still quite young – top stuff!