For the 6 or 7 years I’ve been drinking this, it’s been super – this half bottle is not quite to the previous standard – on a down-slope? I suppose I will have to re-check – also the Longerois too.

1998 Bruno Clair, Marsannay Les Grasses Têtes
Half bottle, plenty of dark sediment adheres to the inside of the bottle. The colour is taking on a slightly browner caste at the rim, relatively young and red it remains at the core. Hmm, the nose let’s us down, slight beefy aromas that hint to brett and a hint of VA too – just this bottle? Wait long enough and a sweet red cherry aroma starts to poke through, but it remains slightly veiled. In the mouth there is the expected pure, candied and detailed red berry fruit, the finish is pure strawberry – beautiful primary flavours still – and it’s 12 year-old Marsannay! The tannin is understated and shows no astringency – beautiful acidity. Lovely, lovely apart from the nose – my worst bottle…
Rebuy – Maybe

2002 Domaine des Chezeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin Clos des Chezeaux
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has a little depth and intensity, faint herbs and, as the glass drains, lovely piercing red berries – mmmm… It starts a little strident, but 30 minutes from opening there’s a real extra fatness and super acidity that dovetails to a decent villages intensity. Subtly long. A wine that ‘gives’ a lot – yum!
Rebuy – Yes

There was hail in Volnay in 2001 – some producers declassified their best wines – I don’t remember how badly d’Angerville’s Clos des Ducs was affected, if at all, but this is not up to their usual overachieving standard – I respectfully suggest that it was also a candidate for a different label…

2001 d’Angerville, Volnay 1er Clos des Ducs
A good medium, medium-plus colour. It’s an ever-changing nose, though not particularly in a good way: it starts a little diffuse and harsh, then there is a period of absolute red-fruited Volnay beauty followed again by diffuse and slightly green notes. You go through this cycle each time you top up your glass! In the mouth the fruit has a very nice perfume, reasonable density and there is some real persistence of flavour – yet the overall effect is slightly tart and certainly has a little ungainly tannin. It contains some great Volnay references, but it’s far from a great Clos des Ducs…
Rebuy – No

Well shiver me timbers – first a HCdN that was actually a far nicer drink than the 01 Jadot Criots of last week – ouch! Then a ’92 Chassagne that was even better!

2000 Méo-Camuzet, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Clos St.Philibert
Medium straw/gold. The nose is warm and faintly savoury with perhaps a little honey too. Vibrant, ripe, quite enough acidity to balance the ‘fat’. This wine is now ‘just right’. Neither super complex, nor super intense, but very tasty all the same.
Rebuy – Yes

1992 Remoissenet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Morgeot
From a jeroboam with dinner! Golden but not oxidised – savoury, biscuity. Much more mineral and muscular than I expected – no ‘ample’ 1992 here – complex, balanced and very satisfying. I ‘needed’ 3 more glasses…
Rebuy – Yes