Limpid, medium, medium pale ruby red – looks lovely in the glass. The nose is restrained yet finely transparent with clean strawberry, raspberry and cherry impressions. In the mouth it’s a delightful combination of lightness yet intensity, transparency and freshness. Frankly this wine excels, drinking very well now despite still being far from mature. Filigree burgundy that’s more about impression than weight.

I bought a case of this in ‘98 and that first bottle majored on mouth-puckering acidity; time has worked a little magic. Medium ruby red. The nose is a mix sweet red cherry and not too heavy plum. Nicely textured, this is elegant, again nicely plummy red fruit with very good but certainly not overstated acidity. The finish is understated and interesting. The table finished this bottle in double-quick time! There’s lots of life left in these bottles.

Medium ruby-red – still some cherry at the rim. The nose is a little unusual to start – freshly struck matches – not uncommon in whites, but rather rarer in reds. Slowly this dissipates to reveal sweet, meaty fruit of some depth. Very good texture and reasonable concentration, but the overall impression is mainly one of tartness coupled to medium length. None of the astringent tannins of the vintage but could still be better.

Drunk directly after the 1999 Barthod Bourgogne Rouge. Medium ruby red. The nose is sweet red cherry with just a little extra secondary dimension. I remember that this was quite acidic on release but has padded out beautifully – if anything it’s now just a little fat. There is tasty fruit and a nice finish. Doesn’t have the extra dimension of a good villages, but a very nice wine in it’s own right – there’s no rush to drink these.

Medium ruby with a little amber at the rim. High tones over plummy and red fruit. Nice weight to the palate, actually quite silky with good acidity. The fruit is red in complexion and of medium length. I’ve really appreciated these ’95’s, perhaps it’s time to take the ’96’s out from storage!

Despite the abuse – as I pressed down my Screwpull, there was a plop, then a splash and then there was no cork, the mouldy-topped thing disappeared into the bottle – this showed quite well. The colour is medium-plus ruby red with a rim of amber. The nose is like a subdued raspberry pie, though with a less nice dusty, flour-type note behind. The palate is soft – though still furry tannin can be found – if you search. Ample fruit for the appelation, and good acidity. Not quite as exciting as last years bottle but well balanced and drinking well.