Actually there was a ‘chaser’ in the form of another bottle of Nicolas Maillet’s 2014 Mâcon-Verzé – but that’s not from the ‘north!’ In this case a more mature bottle than the previous ones – more honied and deeper coloured – half an hour of air and this freshened and even seemed to have lighter colour – still delicious!

2012 Clotilde Davenne, St.Bris Vieilles-Vignes
From magnum. There’s a little extra depth to the golden colour here. The aromas at first show a faintly fumé, caramel, edge to the more expected mint-leaf – attractive! In the mouth this is simply super – mouth-filling volume, fine structure and mouth-watering and precise flavours. Most people preferred this to the wine that followed. Me included!
Rebuy – Yes

2015 Eleonore Moreau, Chablis
From magnum. Medium lemon-yellow colour. The nose is wide and has some weight – a little saline and even spicy. Nice volume in the mouth and with a lovely, silky, texture. Fresh, long, tasty and saline in the mid and finishing flavours. Very tasty wine, if without the precision or intensity of the St.Bris.
Rebuy – Maybe

2017 Maison de la Chapelle, Irancy
From magnum. Deeply coloured – almost saturated. A big fresh waft of aroma – floral, faint pyrazine, and dark cherry. In the mouth a wine of drive and fresh energy, but also with a buffering weight of dark, kirsch-style fruit – and like the nose, inflected with some modest pyrazine notes. This wine has a very most base of tannin – virtually without grain – and long mouth-watering finish. Of-course we are drink this wine far too early – but we are enjoying it – there are more bottles in the cellar for the future!
Rebuy – Yes