2002 D.R.C. V-Romanée Duvault-Blochet, 1998 Dujac Clos-Saint-Denis, 1996 Salon, 1999 Domaine Fourrier Clos-Saint-Jacques, 2005 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet & 2001 Château d’Yquem

I was back at Imperial Treasure Great World for the second time in five days on 25 September 2020, this time by the kind invitation of Messrs Yu père et fils who had also generously furnished the entire line-up of wines, unless otherwise stated, all of which were drinking beautifully. Many thanks, Sir, for a most memorable evening.

1996 Champagne Salon. Lovely gentle complex of white fruits, clear citrus and pomelo amid overtones of white ash and mild yeasty tones within a sheen of very fine soft bubbles that exuded a lifted trace of cool icing, showing superb balance with a quiet verve and intensity, not too dry, developing a brighter minerally tone with a deeper note of gunmetal flint. Excellent.

2005 Domaine Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Lovely luminosity. Rather shy at first, proffering just glimpses of pears and brioche with a hint of honeysuckle before blossoming into a lovely chromatic tone of burnished crème, displaying good clarity with a focused intensity underpinned by a trace of steeliness, eventually finishing with a whiff of glycerin amidst understated minerally tones. Yet to peak. Excellent.

2002 Domaine Michel Gros Vosne-Romanée Aux Brûlées 1er. Evolved red. Tertiary characters of cedar, dark plums, red fruits and rose petals on the nose and palate. Rather fleshy, imbued with very fine minerals and concentration of fruit. Not quite layered in body though it feels very correct in the mouth, very well balanced with a bit of salinity, haw and understated intensity that imparted lovely glow and complexity, becoming utterly seamless and darker in tone over time. Drinking well.

2002 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée Duvault-Blochet 1er. Opaque evolved red, exuding an enticing fragrance of rose petals and red fruits with a distinct core of tangerines that is something of a D.R.C. signature. Medium-bodied. Soft, fleshy and highly supple with a certain sur-maturite that seems to suggest an older wine. Very seamlessly integrated with good concentration and intensity of fruit, finishing well. Made from young vines of various plots of grand cru.

1998 Domaine Dujac Clos-Saint-Denis Grand Cru. Evolved red. Classic characters of raspberries, dark cherries and ripe berries, quite intense and delicious. Soft and fleshy on the palate, generously endowed with a succulent expanse of distilled red fruits, haw and plums, structured with pliant intensity. Very classy. Drinking superbly.

1999 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er. There is an attractive mild earthy funkiness on the nose that led to mature red fruits, mahogany and a sense of pebbly warmth, displaying great suppleness and fleeting intensity with darker shades of ripe fruit supported by pliant tannins that exude great sophistication. Highly successful. Caught at its peak.

2000 Château d’Yquem ‘Y’ Ygrec, courtesy of Sir Bob. Lovely luminosity. There is a fairly heavy  tint of paraffin on the nose with a hint of enamel while the palate is richly endowed with layers of white fruits and crème exerting quite a full fresh vibrancy that is almost haughty, revealing good inner definition though yet to be fully resolved. Needs further cellaring.

2001 Château d’Yquem, a half-bottle courtesy of Kieron. Deep golden, displaying a dominance of apricot and nectarine that glowed with excellent depth and purity. Highly seamless with the rich layering and sweet intensity of fruit held in tight control, utterly smooth as it tapered with fine linearity to a glorious finish.