The nose starts tight, a wider alcoholic tone over a tight kernel of fruit – opens beautifully in the glass with lovely fruit. The palate is quite fresh and linear but provides a super burst of fruit in the mid-palate that slowly lingers in the finish. Far from the best Volnay in 2005, but it’s very, very lovely.

Deep ruby with virtually no fading. High tones and low, even a green fruit note against a creamy background. Very fresh palate with a wonderfully creamy depth to the fruit – not the ultimate that 99 can offer, but in any other vintage quite profound. The tannin is held to the background by the extract and the very fine, creamy length, still with a trace of oak. Just a little disappointing on the nose, but still top of the class in any year but 99.