Medium-plus colour, both deeper and younger looking than the Bonnes-Mares. The nose also has much more depth of an obvious oak note. Soft and concentrated with just a slight lift of the acidity. Apparently much more compact in the mid-palate than the Bonnes-Mares but with equal length. This is clearly a ‘younger’ and more powerful wine but just a little less enticing and balanced than the Bonnes-Mares today. Re-reading this sounds harsh, but it was a very good wine indeed that I’d be happy for you to open for me

A heavy nose of ample cream-edged fruit and new oak melds well with a fairly forward smoky, stemmy note. The plate lacks for a little poise with a ‘whoosh’ of fruit that is admittedly borne on lovely acidity. There’s plenty of oak on the finish too – though it’s a long finish. The scent clings well to the glass. Overall the aromatics, and to a certain extent the flavours too, are rather sweet, facile and vanilla-oak edged – indeed the ripeness is not even shaded by Romanée-Conti – but it’s characterful and quite athletic too. Needs 2-4 years to shed that facile, oak-influenced character but this has all the material to become really super.

Yield 26.5 hl/ha – or 1,267 cases. Medium cherry-red colour. Soft aromas of vanilla support high-toned young but quite elegant notes and subtle stems – slowly it is cherry fruit that starts to underpin everything. The palate mirrors the elegant profile of the nose – there are no fireworks, just a sneaky, undemonstrative length. Elegant, subtle, long reflective wine.

Medium-plus colour. Bright, ebullient nose: at first it’s wide and fat, becoming sleeker with time. Eventually there is a dense core of slightly indistinct fruit overlayed with a minty tone. The instant impression in the mouth is from the texture of the tannins, they’re not the most cultured – plenty of rasp – followed by ripe, sweet fruit that ends with an interesting touch of sourness. There’s a long, intruiging finish that has a little saccharin about it. I’d have no concern over drinking this today as it’s a lovely wine, but vs other recent vintages it’s just a little more simple.

Tasted blind. Medium, medium-plus colour. High-toned, less dense than the previous 2003, narrower and more floral, slowly adds weight and dimension. Lovely palate, plenty of fine tannin, fresh candied red fruit. Good density, a slow diminuendo to the reasonably long finish. Very stylish. Someone else guessed the vintage, I got the appellation.

Bright medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose jumps out of the glass just a little less athletically than the 1er Cru – there’s a hint more spice and a deeper, tighter, more precise aspect to the fruit. There’s a real step-up when tasting this wine, almost reminiscent of the Montrachet and it’s ebullient acidity. Intensity and a real burst of excitement from the mid-palate onwards. Nicely handled tannins. This is a very good effort, certainly more intense than the 1er Cru but I’m not sure if it’s any longer.

Medium, medium-plus cherry red in colour. The nose is of crushed cherry and raspberries that overlay a faintly spicy, subtle coffee-bean base. The tannin seems to show a little more grip than the last tasting, but frankly (despite chewing on bread for the last ten minutes) I keep getting ‘Montrachet-flashbacks’ as I taste. The spicy palate is silken with excellent acidity and a tinge of oak on the finish that’s reminiscent of the Montrachet – unless that’s still the Montrachet! Clearly a pure and distinguished wine, but doesn’t show that joie de vivre that was so evident in January.