Medium ruby-red colour. The nose is lovely, slightly baked fruit, forward with a ginger edge and some deep herby elements. In the mouth there is sweet fruit but the acidity that comes along is bright indeed sharp finishing – it rather dominates the palate despite the slowly lingering flavours. I can’t get at much else as the problem with the acidity is so prominent. A badly stored bottle? I don’t know, but I can’t recommend this.

An understated nose that slowly builds power in the glass – exotic hardwoods and faint chocolate mix to give a very complex impression. The palate is relatively tight, the faintly astringent tannin being well covered by the understated fruit – the length of finish is rather more distinguished. Despite the tight presentation there is good focus here – better than the last bottle.

Medium-plus ruby-red colour. The nose starts wide, wild and fecund – very impressive – but within 25 minutes it’s a shadow of its former self; higher-toned, fresh and herbal – spicy but without the earlier power. The palate is lithe, linear and undemonstrative – somehow metallic tasting. On the plus-side there is excellent texture and an implied rather than overt power. The length is impressive if rather understated. If I’m honest, there’s nothing here today except potential and more left the bottle for day 2 than normal. Day 2: much of the nose is returned, high-class Vosne, almost textural aromatics. The palate has improved some – mainly the width and length of the finish, but whilst there is enough to tempt me to buy more – this wine has become very difficult to find – you really should avoid opening bottles today.

A deep core of colour, just the last vestige of cherry at the rim. The nose is deep and dense if rather bashful to start, showing little more than dark flashes of toasty, sweet oak – fortunately this remains an undertone before fading as a dense and primary deep red note comes through that becomes finer with aeration – I can only summarise it as ‘very sexy’. After wine #2 this is altogether denser, softer and with riper fruit too. It’s brimming with intensity and concentration – it’s a real mouth-filler – showing a lovely expansion in the mid-palate before slowly narrowing in the good finish. In the background there plenty of soft texture from the tannins, but they will need a few more years in the cellar to shrink. Everything about this wine is more fun and lush than the Jadot Bèze, if rather less tight and precise.

A deep core of colour, just the last vestige of cherry at the rim. The nose is deep and dense if rather bashful to start, showing little more than dark flashes of toasty, sweet oak – fortunately this remains an undertone before fading as a dense and primary deep red note comes through that becomes finer with aeration – I can only summarise it as ‘very sexy’. After wine #2 this is altogether denser, softer and with riper fruit too. It’s brimming with intensity and concentration – it’s a real mouth-filler – showing a lovely expansion in the mid-palate before slowly narrowing in the good finish. In the background there plenty of soft texture from the tannins, but they will need a few more years in the cellar to shrink. Everything about this wine is more fun and lush than the Jadot Bèze, if rather less tight and precise.

More of a tasting recollection as this note is taken around two days later. Medium cherry-red colour. The nose is a beauty; impressively deep red fruit swirling with creamy notes that have a subtle vanilla edge. In the mouth the wine shows a classic structure for long aging; very good acidity, fine tannins and fruit that shows a real burst of intensity. Not the concentration of the 1999 and also very primary, but still it’s very tasty. A haunting creamy finish that is redolent of the nose – a very fine wine.