Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose starts with plenty of mushroom rather than the customary reduction, actually with swirling the reduction does make an appearance – a wine that needs a little air. Air dissolves the mushrooms and delivers a lovely pure red berry note, though this is also a transition to deeper, slightly darker red fruit aromas – rather primary though, as is the Griotte fashon. The well-padded palate starts quite silky though there is some bitterness to the finish, that said it’s in a bitter-chocolate style which is far from problematic. Like a number of 04s the acidity is a little elevated but that’s its position on the aging curve, nothing more. There is an interesting and very slowly emerging stony flavour in the finish. None of the disappointingly monolithic Clos St.Jacques proportions here. A very good wine that drinks quite well considering its age. Not a trace of the vintage malaise either.

Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose opens with wide and forward and very, very young grapey fruit – it’s like a genie escaping from the bottle, but escape it does and what you are left with is a dense core of red fruit. The aromas remain solid and one-dimensional for the next 2 hours – no 02 CSJ sytyle reduction here. The palate is fatter and more concentrated than the CSJ and the balance is very good – the tannin is there only if you search it out. Like the nose, there is concentration but no complexity – it’s big and rounded and soft and somehow comforting, but it’s monosyllabic – typical young Griotte I suppose. Remaining bottles should wait at least until their 12th birthday I think, though 15+ is likely to be better.

Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is deeply fruited and mixed with toffee notes. Forward acidity defines the palate – not unbalanced, but it’s different to all the other wines, quite primary in presentation. Decently covered tannin and resounding finish of red berries that gives an excellent final impression.

After the Clos St.Jacques the aromatics are of deeper, tighter but also softer red fruit. The palate is more concentrated but significantly simpler, though covers the faintly astringent tannin very well. A smoothly long finish. At this stage it is deceptively simple and ‘cute’ after the CSJ – but such is Griotte. Still a lovely wine.

Medium, medium-plus cherry red colour. Initially the nose is very tight with faint estery notes, slowly going deeper and a little spicy – eventually this becomes plusher, more red and with quite creamy sweet oak. The fruit is quite high-toned in the mouth, with well-covered tannin. There’s a fantastic length on display – even longer than wine de Vogèé’s 01 Musigny – there’s also quite a lot of oak on display but it’s not in the slightest ‘untasty’ and quite creamy.

This is medium/medium-plus cherry red. Quite a high toned nose, slightly floral, but despite the double decanting comes across as a little closed. The palate is anything but, lovely depth to the fruit and super balance. I’m so pleased I bought some of these after an en-primeur tasting in January this year!

Medium cherry colour. Again a high toned, slightly floral nose complimenting a red cherry base. Tasted together with Drouhin’s and Chézeaux’s 2000, this wine is less obviously fat, but it seems that there is a slightly mineral expression. Very pure with just a trace of astringency to the tannin. A beautifully pure and balanced 2000.

Medium-plus cherry. Whilst quite reticent, this is still a nose to fall into. Lovely very pure fruit with medium-plus tannins and very good acidity. I liked this a lot – Fine.