There is a hint of stems, not particularly smoky but warm red fruit. I really, really like the width, this is faintly tannic but very fine tannin.

Like the ‘en foule’ this has a little musk on the nose too., and it’s a very wide and interesting nose – it just seems to get better and better – I find something of the quality of a Musigny here – honestly! Lots of flavour and some complexity; it has the sweetness of the vintage but remains poised. Lovely, lovely wine.

Medium, medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose is deep, edged with sweet oak spice and more than a hint of cedar – reminiscent of an 04 but less ‘high-toned’. In the mouth this is sweetly ripe and with a little fat in its texture but also a nice core of acidity. Plush but tasty though the decent length finish still shows a little bitter oaky element that has almost become bitter chocolate rather than just ‘bitter’ – a little creamy coconut too – but also some more cedar. For the first hour it was open it was alternately yummy and engaging then herby and bitter, I expected improvement, but instead the palate became a little prickly/pickley. Basically this is all over the place today – unusual for a 2000 – so I can’t recommended it.