2013 Olivier Leflaive, Puligny-Montrachet
A faint, slightly reductive, toast on this nose – the depth hinting at a little grapefruit – which becomes more and more overt with aeration and as the toast fades. Fresh but with a melting width over the palate rather than direction. The flavour is of slightly sweetened grapefruit and has a nice focus and good tension. Versus its early days of youth this is a little more discreet today, but it’s still very Puligny and with a sneaky length too. Very enjoyable…
Rebuy – Yes

1999 Nicolas Potel Volnay Vieilles-Vignes
I pulled out a 1997 of this, but realised that I’d left that bottle in Beaune, so why not this one?
Deep colour. The nose starts with some strange, unappetising notes, but after 15 minutes of air it’s an altogether different proposition – modest of width, with a little more depth of mulled fruit and a fine, velvet width of faintly spiced complexity – yum! Fresh, a super line of acidity but with a strawberry-edged padding to balance the acidity. Still a tiny grain of tannin which, coupled with the shimmering fresh fruit, shows plenty of youth. Not the most powerful finish but still a brilliant length for a villages label. The only negative I can see is that it becomes overly soft and indistinct as it reaches room temperature in the glass. Great villages that you could start drinking – if you wished – but there’s clearly no rush…
Rebuy – Yes