Popped and poured. Medium-plus colour. The nose has a hint of Bordeaux about it with a slightly mineral, cigar-box aroma; but slowly it releases a blend of violet flowers and flashes of gorgeously sexy red and blackberry fruit. In the mouth this has a very understated layer of velvety tannin; otherwise it is immaculately smooth and polished, slightly linear and shows a wonderful mid-palate intensity. The flavour in the finish is dark and concentrated, reminding me again of that half mineral – half cigar-box impression. the flavour easily hangs on for over a minute. Day two the last half a glass is very tight – the natural order is restored.

We really have the juice of the fruit here says François Millet. Here is a deep, concentrated core of darker-red fruit – the nose seems almost ‘smooth’. The smell of the last drops in the glass are super-gorgeous. A little more structure but it’s super-fine and concentrated. A beautiful core of fruit that goes long into the finish.

After the Amoureuses the nose is broader, less refined but full of energy – like the premier cru there is a hint of background spice. Mouth-filling with soft tannin and juicy fruit – actually for the first time I have an impression in my mind of ‘risotto rice’ for the tannins – soft but still with a little bite of crunchy texture at their core. François says this can be a characteristic of the ‘terres rouges’ where the domaine’s vines are planted. Long finishing, this wine is not as forceful as some vintages, but I like it all the more for that. Excellent.

The nose is a little spicy, yet at the core mineral too – less fruit-driven than the previous wines. Lots of fresh dimension and concentration in the mouth. The flavour keeps building long after you swallow – very long finishing. Excellent, just don’t mention the price.

Higher-toned, more giving aromatics of depth and interest. Lithe and athletic – it’s like a coiled spring – I don’t know how the energy was contained in the glass. I normally shy away from Bonnes-Mares, but this one stole the show. Beg, borrow or steal to drink this – I will!

A high-toned fresh nose with very precise fruit – rare in 1997. The palate also shows precise young fruit and is rather racy too. The tannins probably need at least another 5 years. Less friendly than the Magnien, but younger

Deep cherry-red. A brooding nose that mixes red and black fruit, though black is dominant, with a coffee edge. Concentrated and tannic. Starts on full power, a gradual diminuendo is the character of the wine – well it couldn’t go higher! – fading very slowly into the finish. It’s fully-packed with material and shows great balance. Not a hint four-square, but I wouldn’t consider opening this bruiser for at least another 8 years.

Similar intensity to the 2000 Chambolle 1er, but the colour has a more purple shade. Much more communicative on the nose with blacker dried and slightly spiced fruits. No spice on the palate, instead there’s dense, concentrated and muscular black, tarry fruit. Much more primary so less complex than the 1er Cru but a lovely creamy finish tops of this performance. Very impressive.

Medium-plus cherry-red. The nose has a little oak-toast and shows a much more savoury and spicy edge than the other wines, the fruit has a blacker edge too. The spice is also there on the palate, in-fact it currently defines the wine more than the fruit. A completely different expression to the others, it shows impressive though primary density and balanced structure – more so than the 99 Amoureuses – different, but very interesting.