2002 Nicolas Potel, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Petits Monts
The nose is wide, with faint coffee and oak notes and a chocolate effect. Not forceful nor deep, but very nice. Good soft texture and tannins with a little grain – but quantity-wise not so much. Wide and lingering subtle flavours borne on good acidity. It’s not a big wine, but it has all the components for a promising future and a tasty present.
Rebuy – Yes
2005 Nicolas Potel, Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Petits Monts
Deeper colour, deeper nose. The aromas have a similar toffee/coffee complexion that cover the fruit. Denser, more tannic and with more depth too. There is little complexity here but there is a sure-footed intensity that will really deliver in the future. Slowly fading in the finish – excellent.
Rebuy – Yes

2005 Cornu, Ladoix 1er Le Bois Roussot
Medium cherry-red colour. The nose is high-toned and wide with a red/blue shade to the fruit – very clean, not a hint diffuse. In the mouth it’s also clean and beautifully fresh, quite linear until the nicely intense mid-palate. Super balance, though as it gets more and more mature, perhaps the acidity will start to dominate – but today it’s lovely.
Rebuy – Yes

2005 Eric de Suremain Château de Monthelie, Monthelie 1er Sur La Velle
Surprisingly deep colour. While far from profound, the nose has a raw, fruity depth and interesting width. The palate is bathed in well-textured ripe tannin, some brown-sugar sweetness and shows a dark edge to the fruit. Understated acidity and an understated finish too – at least to start – the finish becomes ever-more interesting. It’s well-priced and well-tasty, but today it doesn’t make me dream of burgundy…
Rebuy – Maybe
PS – How do you know what to call it? – Is it Château de Monthelie or is it Eric de Suremain? Tsk, Tsk…

2001 Marquis d’Angerville, Volnay 1er Clos des Ducs
Medium ruby-red colour. The nose remains tight and undistinguished during our time together – faintly red, slightly high-toned and floral with an occasional deep baked red fruit note – but always very understated. A silky-smooth entry and nothing more than a suggestion of tannin. The acidity is inconspiciously efficient and there seems reasonable concentration. Silky and very long are the positives, and I found no negatives – unless you count that I found relatively little. It’s tight but judging by this bottle at least, I’m not disappointed that further bottles lie in the cellar.
Rebuy – Maybe
Following the Jarollières, this was a much nicer wine, but for the price (and expectation) it needs to show much more.

2000 Jean-Marc Boillot, Pommard 1er Les Jarollières
Medium, medium-minus colour. The nose is a long way towards maturity with soft, ripe and sweet red berry fruit and faint cocoa notes that could come from a 1980’s wine. In the mouth there is still a block of tannin in the middle that needs resolving that has a dry edge. Decent enough acidity, if slightly lifted. Finishes well. Still not as tasty as its first 18 months in bottle but far better than most of the years that followed. Needs anothe 2-3 years for the tannins.
Rebuy – no