Medium colour. The nose is intense red fruit, slightly dried and creamy cranberry in aspect. Lovely freshness, depth without overt concentration and impressive dimension(s) of fruit in the mid-palate. Even without real intensity I’m rather smitten – the complexity is enough! Nice length, the last few drops in the glass provide a gorgeous redcurrant aroma – really super!

A relatively pale young wine – medium cherry-red colour. The nose is quite tight – some depth but little width, only slowly does a little definition and a pure red note start to build, eventually there’s also a floral aspect. Super texture, the tannin slowly builds in the mouth to give a little ripple of grain, astringency and also a little bitterness. Acidity is finely balanced and there is very good intensity to the fruit, fruit that seems to become sweeter with time. Not completely full of ‘charm’ at this stage, but everything is in place – wait at least 5 years before returning.

The nose is not so deep, but shows width and interesting, if linear fruit. The plalate is wide and not obviously 2003 in complexion. Plenty of fine tannin and reasonable acidity. This is rather nice.

A wine too far. Paler than the 2003’s. The nose is unusually mineral with a little cured meat being the main note. Much less plush than the 03’s, again there’s quite a savoury aspect to the palate, plenty of tannin, but not too drying. The fruit is quite nice, but this wine struggles to follow the extra sweetness of the 2003’s.

A wine too far. Paler than the 2003’s. The nose is unusually mineral with a little cured meat being the main note. Much less plush than the 03’s, again there’s quite a savoury aspect to the palate, plenty of tannin, but not too drying. The fruit is quite nice, but this wine struggles to follow the extra sweetness of the 2003’s.

Also from 40+ year old vines. Medium-plus ruby – just starting to brown a little at the rim. Starts with a waft of very deep and concentrated cherry, but a cedary/currant pie note gradually takes over. Fat and mouth coating, really super pure fruit, balanced acidity and absolutely the smoothest of tannin. There’s no denying the quality of the underlying material, but the woody/cedary note on the nose is also evident on the palate and is very similar in character to what I didn’t like about the 1991 Ponsot Griotte – it’s a transient thing though, as after two hours the cedary note is completely gone. There’s a super, ever changing finish, lovely wine.