Medium-plus colour. Wide, a little herbal and mineral with a dark core of fruit. In your mouth there’s great fruit though it’s wrapped in plenty of structure – it’s relatively smooth but the tannin still needs a number of years. The depth is super and there is a mineral length. Don’t touch again for at least 5 years.

(Magnum) Medium-plus colour. On the nose you note the much fresher fruit than many. Lots of ripe concentration on the palate backed by forward but ripe tannin. Understated length too. This is very very good for the vintage.

Younger, deeper ruby-red colour than the Garaudet that preceded it. Where the Garaudet’s nose was high-toned and fruit driven, this is much deeper and more savoury with an edge of oak. Very fresh palate, the tannins show in a grainy fashion but not drying. There is a long and creamy finish, the fruit is tight and linear with a black-olive edge – doesn’t show the friendly face of the last wine but has plenty in-hand for the future.

A deep and rich ruby core that shades to pink at the edge. Baked red fruit nose with chocolate and eventually a little pipe tobacco. Reserved acidity for a ’96, some fat and velvetty tannins. Despite showing layers of complexity this is some way from maturity and worth holding onto.

Very deep colour, still with a cherry red rim. The nose has high toned slightly estery notes over an undertow of black skinned fruit. The fruit is also deeply black on the palate too. The acidity is very good and the drying tannins of the vintage are present, but with sufficiently intense fruit to act as a buffer. A big black wine of a Beaune that you might pick as from the Côte de Nuits. I’d leave it for another three years to tame the tannin some more.

Medium-plus ruby only fading very slightly at the rim. The nose starts with pronounced toasty oak, very quickly blowing off to reveal toasted bread and deep black cherry. In the mouth there’s nice volume, excellent acidity and beautifully controlled smooth tannins. Still a little one-dimensional, but a wine to savour for the next 15 years at least – excellent.

Medium-plus ruby only fading very slightly at the rim. The nose starts with pronounced toasty oak; very quickly blowing off to reveal toasted bread and deep black cherry. In the mouth there’s nice volume, excellent acidity and beautifully controlled smooth tannins. Still a little one-dimensional, but a wine to savour for the next 15 years at least – excellent.