The nose has a wonderful depth, certainly quite the cuisinière though with coffee, chocolate, hints of coconut – fortunately I also find fruit. As the previous wines, Pascal has delivered a super-fine structure that delivers excellence without sacrificing intensity of flavour. Gorgeous clarity and super length.

Medium colour. The nose delivers spades of interest; high-toned dark, minerally fruit over a slightly diffuse but engaging core – I can’t help sniffing – a slightly musky and stemmy impression also adds value to set against some barrel vanilla and coconut (100% oak as only 1 barrel!). In the mouth there’s enough fat to easily balance the lovely acidity, and the flavour slowly builds to a crescendo in the mid-palate – there is perhaps a hint of CO2 that turns up the volume of the fireworks, but fireworks there are, and it seems very well judged. The flavours are dark red, almost blue-skinned fruit and they last incredibly well – even for a Grand Cru – admittedly there’s some of that coconut thing going on again in the finish, but this delivers oodles of precocious loveliness. Super – drink it over the next 12 months to enjoy this performance or wait at least fifteen years for harmony and something of the real Corton