The nose is broader and muskier – there are savoury hints too. Full and very silky in the mouth – as you chew the velvet tannin grows. The flavour is as broad as the nose – a wine that stands apart stylistically in this range – yet it’s made exactly the same. Very, very impressive.

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…

Like all these wines, just 20% new oak is used during elevage. A wider and finer nose that is edged with some caramel depth. In the mouth this is a little more austere and mouth-filling. Fine acidity and concentration. A super dark length penetrates the tongue. Eventually a haunting red note on the nose – class, expensive, but class!

Aromatically complete with width and depth to the red-shaded fruits. Fully packed in your mouth – plenty of tannin, but it’s the incredible intensity that eventually makes you swallow – very, very impressive.

(Magnum) A soft, sweet and much redder fruited nose than the last bottles. The palate is medium intensity, coming across as quite sophisticated and with an additional creamy depth to the red fruited finish.

Medium-plus ruby-red with a cherry-red rim. The nose starts broad and brawny, slipping for a moment into bright red berries before settling into a medium intensity mix of sweet coffee inflected red cherry, some higher tones continue to evolve. Almost painful intensity of high-toned fruit – very, very impressive! Good acidity and very good tannins though not so svelte as those in de Montilles’ Les Mitans. Great length – a King in waiting – I think the next test shouldn’t be before 2012.

Medium, medium-plus cherry-red colour right up to the rim. The nose starts with a muddle of oaky and mixed-fruit notes really needing around twenty minutes before the mist starts to lift, given thirty and focus reigns. It’s deep, creamy and totally red with white pepper over a fading marzipan. Versus the 99 at the same stage this is a completely different expression, the 99 had laser-like but densely expressed fruit whereas this is broader but without the same depth and ultimate concentration. That said there is a beautiful balance to this creamy wine with subtlety being the main hallmark. Fades very slowly. Excellent. Perhaps it’s only 90% as good as the 1999 but that’s 90% of a very big number, I’m glad there are a few in the cellar!

Medium ruby red, but looks much older than Jadot’s Grèves. Nose starts quietly, then goes deep and sweet. After time a little wood spice develops together with higher ‘flowery’ tones. Well structured with very good acidity bold but controlled tannin. The fruit has good intensity and shows medium-plus length. Certainly worth saving longer as it should be very good, but this wine is not not as interesting as the 1998 I recently had, and doesn’t come close to the 1999.

From magnum. This has the best nose so far, and is a lovely complex mix of sweet red fruits, orange peel and rose petals. The sweet palate shows good acidity and still furry (though slightly drying) tannins. A very good wine, and excellent senior citizen.