Ric's Wine Journal

An evening at Hua Ting on 14 November 2023 very kindly hosted by LF, all tasted blind. Through sheer coincidence, there were two bottles of Henri Boillot of similar vintage. Many thanks!

2015 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er. Pale golden. Restrained bouquet of cool floral scents leading to a fullish palate of slick oily density, still quite tightly coiled. Loosened up a little with distant notes of flint and gun smoke whilst maintaining its floral fragrance, morphing eventually into a delicate lift of créme and nutmeg with a high-toned chalky shine.

2017 Château de Meursault Meursault-Perriéres 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Lovely luminosity, exuding delicate white tones with excellent clarity and modest intensity, layered with minerally detail that show some early complexity. Very subtly structured. More velvety over time with an ethereal elegance, lighting up the palate with superb glowing length. This is Meursault as it ought to be.

2015 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchere 1er, courtesy of Vic. This monopole opens with soft reductive notes amid delicate high-toned citrus and dominant acidity. Highly integral with medium depth of fruit, beautifully rounded with lean definition, layered with a very understated glowing minerally presence tinged with saline and menthol.

2020 Claire Naudin (Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand) Viola Odorata. Deep purple. Profusion of well-extracted raspberries and mulberries that exude alluring fragrance with a deep luxuriant presence but neither imposing nor hedonistic. Wonderfully lithe and agile in spite of its ample proportions, dressed in svelte silky tannins that blend seamlessly with the understated acidity, displaying exemplary balance. From 90-year-old vines, expertly crafted by the wife of Jean-Yves Bizot.

1986 Vieux Château Certan, courtesy of Kieron. Still fairly deep in colour. Subtle tertiary glow of well-evolved red fruits and mahogany. Highly integral and open with lean definition, utterly seamless in its layers of fruit, sublime acidity and melted tannins, boasting superb lift and great cohesion. Outstanding.

1997 Ridge Monte Bello, courtesy of LF. Deep purple. Restrained presence of dark fruits, blueberries and cool currants, structured with equally subdued tannins that oozed a bit of sweet warmth. Amply endowed and still wonderfully fresh, turning a little pruny along with traces of burnt though it suited the mediun-full palate very well.

2005 Château Troplong Mondot, courtesy of Vic. Deep purple. This wine was rather difficult to place, opening with a certain restraint, proffering a dash of sweetness tinged with menthol. Equally understated and soft in its tannin structure, slightly dusty, displaying subtle detail with subdued intensity even though the fruit is placed more forwardly than usual, trailed by ferrous elements laced with a distinct note of sweetness. We all thought New World!

Sir K very kindly hosted dinner at Shang Palace on 31 October 2023 with an outstanding line-up on a loose theme of Burgundy. As usual, all bottles were blinded except the champagne. Thank you all for your kind generosity.

2002 Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, courtesy of Kieron. Dull golden lustre. Flinty nose of reasonable depth amid yeasty overtones, lighting up the weighty but rounded palate with excellent precision and dry intensity of complex minerals and white fruits, gaining further crystalline clarity over time.

2014 Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, courtesy of Andrew. Pale, opening with glowing vanillin and icing in soft focus. Medium-full. Slightly buttery, its predominant white fruits beautifully balanced against slick acidity, displaying excellent precision and definition. Developed further stoniness and salinity over time yet retaining its sense of ethereal lightness. Drinking superbly without the usual Leflaive weightiness.

2015 Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Pale. This wine opens with a distinct note of fluoride amid dense orchard fruit. Very well-structured with chiseled white tones, displaying great freshness, cohesion and clarity with undertones of nutmeg, developing a bit of delicate chalkiness even as it gained further traction and energy. Finished well. Not the kind of plump Bonneau du Martray of old. Superb.

2019 Domaine Morey-Coffinet Chassagne-Montrachet Blanchot Dessus 1er. Wax seal. Displaying a golden luminosity, this wine opens with a quiet lift of soft floral scents, taking its time to blossom with silky smooth contours matched by a restrained ethereal intensity. Distinctly feminine, opening up with greater clarity even as it developed further white tones with a bit of creaminess, seducing the palate with beguiling complexity and subtle precision. Practically a Montrachet, since this tiny 1.1 ha plot directly abuts both Montrachet Grand Cru as well as Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru at the south-west corner (not to be confused with Blanchot Dessous (ie. from lower ground) which is village). Outstanding.

1978 Domaine Robert Sirigue Grands Échézeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Dennis. Dull crimson. Obviously well matured, though the medium-full palate is still remarkably fresh and ample in autumnal red fruits, grapefruit and mandarins, imbued with striking acidity above its glowing minerally presence.

1999 Domaine Louis Jadot Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Lovely color. Distilled nose of dark plums and cherries. Medium-bodied. Open with a bright supple presence of red cherries and raspberries on a minerally base, exuding excellent intensity that belies its slightly lean structure, just entering its mature phase with early notes of cinnamon.

2005 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échézeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Sir Bob. Lovely crimson, appearing to be more evolved than the preceding 1999 Louis Jadot of the same plot, proffering a superb lift of delicious red fruits tinged with haw and cedar. Softly contoured with subtle depth and definition beneath its veneer of sleek acidity and tension, finishing with fine linearity and understated complexity.

2015 Domaine Georges Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin Les Combottes 1er. Strawberries and haw dominate on the nose and medium palate. Softly contoured with fine inner detail, considerably sharper in definition at the base where a slight minerally presence is evident, boasting excellent fruit intensity, finishing well though yet to develop true secondary characters. One can see why it is almost within reach of grand cru, just missing in layered depth. Its name indicates that the vines are situated in a combe (hollow) on the hillside (ie. a fault in the land); hence, it can never be grand cru even though it is smack within that fabulous longitudinal strip that extends all the way from Mazis-Chambertin down to Bonnes-Mares. An application to be upgraded to grand cru was thrown out in 1932.

2006 Domaine Georges Roumier Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Good colour. Just entering early maturity where plummy brightness and a splash of mandarins are discernible. Softly contoured. Open with supple understated verve, boasting sharp definition throughout its layered depth. Highly integral.

1999 Domaine Dominique Laurent Vosne-Romanée Champs Perdrix, courtesy of Peter (from Penang) at Imperial Treasure Great World, 02 Oct 2023. Mature orangey hues from a fair presence of autumnal fruit that has begun to recede, shifting its focus towards a high-toned acidity matched by a general ferrous austerity.

Ambriel Classic Cuvée Brut NV, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 05 Oct 2023. This English sparkling wine displays a lovely luminosity, evoking lime and yellow citrus on the medium palate, a little forward with lithe intensity, laced with just the right level of acidity. Good balance and unfussy, turning a little bright and shiny before developing a gentle minerally base but it lacks further dimension.

2017 Château Cantermerle, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 05 Oct 2023. Fairly deep garnet. Dark fruits and currants beneath a restrained warmth. More effusive after some coaxing, revealing understated verve from a well-layered medium palate, structured with unobtrusive tannins. Good balance.

2018 Jean-Philippe Fichet Volnay Les Champans 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 05 Oct 2023. Rather dark for pinot. Restrained hues of dark roses. Medium-bodied, imbued with a bit of oily density. Well balanced and proportioned with understated verve. Good finish.

2019 Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages, at Liang Kee restaurant, 07 Oct 2023. Light golden. Nose of cool icing laced with white tones that carried on to the medium-full palate. Well layered with a hint of early complexity, developing sweetish undertones amidst dominant clear citrus and pomelo.

2019 Patrick Javillier Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée des Forgets, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 12 Oct 2023. Light greenish hue. Effusive in clear citrus and lemon with lifted floral scents. Medium weight. Generously layered with a seamless chamfered quality, proffering glorious fruit with focused presence and excellent definition. Very well proportioned with lithe agility and fine linearity all the way to its finish.

2021 Julie Fevre Chablis Fourchaumes 1er, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 12 Oct 2023. Deep greenish golden hue. Distinct nose of morning dew and wet grassy elements. Medium-full. Fine density of green fruits laced with bitter lemon that stoke the palate with lithe gentle intensity and bright clarity though it finished on a darkish note.

2021 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay. Popped and poured at Eastern House of Seafood, 14 Oct 2023. Crisp, full-bodied chiseled stoniness from a layered palate of floral white tones and nutmeg, displaying excellent precision throughout its length, finishing with a dash of sweetness. Another bottle tasted over 21-22 Oct 2023 proffered a lovely lift of fig, green fruits and floral accents from its light-greenish hue, leading to a full palate of peaches, honeydew and tropical notes supported by a subtle minerally base, beautifully layered with keen definition. James Halliday’s estate over-delivers, as usual. A no-brainer at SGD27 all-in whenever Cold Storage has it on sale.

2016 Laurent Ponsot Chambolle-Musigny Cuvée de la Violette. Popped and poured over lunch at Otto Ristorante, 16 Oct 2023. Purplish hue, caressing the full-bodied palate with a rich luxuriant intensity from the ample depth of ripe dark plums and berries that glitter with occasional red fruit. Structured with lithe tannins. Bright, supple and exuberant, though it developed a bit of austere minerality after some time before restoring order. Good overall sophistication.

2017 Domaine Joseph & Philippe Roty Marsannay Champs Saint-Etienne, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 17 Oct 2023. Good colour. Subtle lift of cherries and red fruits. Good extraction. Rather full with a distinct note of heated gravel, warming the palate with bright tones and rustic intensity.

2020 Domaine Jean Fournier Fixin Les Petits Crais, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 17 Oct 2023. Almost deep garnet! Nose of olives and dried plums. Well-extracted medium presence, displaying good verve and purity with a controlled intensity. Decent length.

2019 Léon Beyer Pinot Gris, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 17 Oct 2023. Dull golden hue. Started off with a distant nose of green fruits, melons and honeysuckle matched by understated acidity and minerality. Gradually blossomed with a pronounced glowing presence of fig and nectarine, displaying fine detail and clarity amid dense floral characters. Excellent example of pinot gris by a great producer.

2017 Domaine Bruno Clair Chambolle-Musigny Les Véroilles, aired in bottle ahead of dinner at GEMMA, 18 Oct 2023. Well extracted. Delicious nose of dark cherries with sweet rosy hues. Medium-full with a velvety tensile presence, taking on a rounded shine before attaining good purity and layered integration with a trace of grilled burnt, structured with a restrained sweet intensity from the ample ripe fruit.

2018 Domaine Jean Fournier Marsannay Clos du Roy Blanc, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 24 Oct 2023. Greenish hue. Fairly effusive in fig, preserved yellow fruit and peaches. Focused medium-weight palate, exuding great verve and delicate intensity with good balance and sublime acidity.

2019 Domaine Alexandre Parigot Pommard Les Vignots, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 24 Oct 2023. Classic pinot tint. Lovely nose, slightly burnished. Fresh plums, dark cherries and mulberries dominate. Beautifully rounded. Medium presence, showing very good balance and concentration with understated verve. Settled down with fine definition amid a distant note of eucalyptus. Subtly layered. Highly integral and elegant. Excellent effort.

2020 Duckhorn Vineyard Merlot, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 24 Oct 2023. Deep garnet. Brooding nose of dark fruits, black currants and forest floor, slightly reductive. Medium-full. Very fresh and clean on the entry, boasting fine definition with a controlled intensity. Still imbued with subtle splashes of vanillin, developing further overtones of rye.

2008 Mount Mary Quintet, aired for two hours prior to dinner at Yan Ting, St Regis Singapore, 27 Oct 2023. Delicious fragrance of dark cherries and rose petals. Soft, fleshy and highly supple with ample presence of dark plums and mushrooms, displaying a hint of glare initially before gelling into a very well-balanced elegant seamless entity with further notes of mocha and chocolate.

2010 Château Larcis Ducasse, courtesy of Melvin at Yan Ting, St Regis Singapore, 27 Oct 2023. Purplish crimson. Aired in bottle for seven hours prior. Full, big and creamy, imbued with ample depth of dark fruits and currants topped with a distinct note of varnish though it is surprisingly restrained on the nose. Very much like a New World. Still quite primal.

2012 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion, courtesy of Marc at Yan Ting, St Regis Singapore, 27 Oct 2023. Purplish. Soft distant fragrance of dark berries tinged with a subdued earthiness. Subtly structured with fine tension and definition. Harmonious. Drinking well.

2012 Vieux Château Certan, courtesy of Russ at Yan Ting, St Regis Singapore, 27 Oct 2023. Decanted on-site. Deep crimson. Subdued nose. Velvety darkish notes with early secondary characters tinged with a hint of varnish against dryish textures, finishing with overtones of licorice. Best to lay down further.

2004 Vieux Château Certan, courtesy of Marc at Yan Ting, St Regis Singapore, 27 Oct 2023. Decanted on-site. Deep crimson. Rather restrained on the nose and medium palate, showing signs of early maturity with the cool darkish fruit somewhat recessed. Fleshy and fairly seamless, exuding a subdued glow of mature claret that grew with gradual intensity. Deserves more time to express itself.

For reasons unclear, Rhône is relatively neglected amongst wine lovers compared with Bordeaux and Burgundy. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the wines tend to be very robust in its youth, requiring decades of cellaring to come round, or that some examples may be rather rustic and gruff before they turn the corner. It may as well be that Burgundy alone provides endless fascination, leaving oenophiles with little room for other regions. But Rhône is an excellent source of sensibly-priced wines that offer great quality and immense satisfaction, even in the present era of outrageous prices, as shown in the mostly-Rhône line-up tasted at Imperial Treasure Great World on 10 October 2023. All wines were blinded. Many thanks, everyone.

2008 Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, courtesy of Kieron. Clear luminosity, proffering intense lime, yellow citrus and mandarins with a high-toned acidity, lighting up the palate with structured blazing intensity. Became slightly reductive after some time with emerging ferrous elements though maintaining its tremendous verve, oozing a little sweetness.

1993 Champagne Dom Pérignon, courtesy of Vic. This bottle opened with marked oxidised tones that almost veered towards cork taint though never really there, saved by emergent notes of ferric oxide and dried mushrooms that offer velvety comfort, eventually gaining some semblance of pochai pills that shrouded the abundant golden fruit within. Not the best example of Dom, but likely to be bottle variation.

2021 M Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Blanc. Luminous gold. Zingy energetic chalky white tones cut with razor sharp precision amid overtones of rhubarb and olives. Medium weight, settling down with good refinement and elegance though it lacks further dimension, the fruit turning a little backward after some time. Nevertheless, still great value at SGD27 all in.

2013 M Chapoutier Ermitage De L’Orée, courtesy of LF. Pale golden. Some notes of diesel on the nose amid white tones, imbued with fine powdery textures. Medium-full. Slightly austere and medicinal, turning brighter over time with lovely inner detail and glowing intensity. Good length.

2014 Domaine Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Displaying a pale luminosity, this seminal white is uncharacteristically restrained on the nose like the shy beauty it is though the palate is open with lithe white tones tinted with cool icing, seamlessly integrated with a recessed chalkiness that added immeasurably to its placid elegance, almost to the point of aloofness. Yet to really develop. Looks like the 2014 Puligny grand crus are truly set for the long haul.

2017 Château des Tours Côtes-du-Rhone, courtesy of Anthony. The evolved crimson is highly deceptive though the palate of wild berries and rose petals accurately reflects its youthful energy and freshness, exuding distant hues of soft red fruits from its rounded contours, yielding fine definition with a growing feminine intensity supported by a firm minerally base. Excellent.

2007 Château Rayas Réservé, courtesy of Anthony. Displaying an aged crimson, this wine proffers a feminine lift of elegant red fruits and cherries underpinned by secondary characters. Still rather full, carrying cool elegant verve within its seamless layers of mature ripe fruit supported by firm minerally undertones, structured with pliant tannins. Exactly why Rayas commands such premium.

1996 Château Rayas Réservé, courtesy of Sir Bob. Evolved crimson, matching the mature medium-weight palate of rosy hues and feminine floral fragrance, just entering its autumnal phase with a slight medicinal after note. Beautifully open and fleshy, imbued with firm but elegant intensity.

1999 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. Fairly deep crimson. Rather restrained though the medium-full palate displays a clean presence of red plums and orangey fruit with a savoury splash, boasting excellent definition and cohesion. Much better than a previous bottle from the same case without the vegetal gruffness.

1998 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle, courtesy of LF. Pale crimson. Distinctly more mature than any other La Chapelle in the line-up, where the red fruits have softened with early autumnal character, turning more rustic with a distant note of petroleum, not helped at all by a dense darkish mid-palate of briar, bramble and earth but saved by acidity that’s still quite slick.

1991 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle, courtesy of Kieron. Deep garnet with a bare rim of crimson, exuding a full bouquet of ripe black berries and dark plums. Masculine and well-proportioned, perhaps a little more forwardly balanced with undertones of dried mushrooms, structured with refined tannins that ooze a bit of sweetness. Still swinging after thirty-two years; may not even have peaked.

1989 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle, courtesy of Sir Bob. Deep crimson at its core, proffering some early complexity on the nose with a dash of sweet varnish. Robust with masculine proportions, generously endowed with fruit that is still wonderfully full, fleshy and ripe, recalling orange peel and mandarins. Highly fluid and elegant, just a tad short.

2015 Domaine Henri Bonneau et Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins, courtesy of Alvin. Crimson with some evolution. Ample depth of warm dark fruit tinged with vanillin that moves with lithe agility in spite of its tight structured intensity, proffering glimpses of inner detail with a discernible alcoholic flash at the finish. Needs another two decades of cellaring.

2001 Sine Qua Non Midnight Oil, courtesy of LF. Very deep garnet. Immediately recognisable as non-Rhône from its dark robust and almost hedonistic tone. Unapologetically masculine and concentrated, endowed with very deep dark plummy fruit and black currants supported by a dense vegetal blackness laced with some pruny sweetness. Yet the balance is there between the fruit, tannins and acidity, just that everything is delivered full-on. I guessed a Penfolds Grange; it belongs to that league.

The great Dr Ngoi very generously hosted a dinner on 02 October 2023 at Imperial Treasure, Great World City, Singapore, in honour of Monsieur Philippe Capdouze’s 60th, certainly a most auspicious occasion. The theme was Vosne and we all duly obliged. An evening of great excesses, no doubt, but it would be sinful not to finish every drop. Merci beaucoup!

2018 Les Treilles. 100% chenin blanc from Anjou. Poured from magnum. Pale. Perfumed floral aromas tinged with a hint of vanillin sweetness. Layered with fine clarity and sleek definition. More effusive in powdery white tones over time with a growing sweet intensity, yielding fabulous detail.

Champagne Chevreux-Bournazel La Parcelle NV, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Poured from magnum. Light golden. Wet grassy nose, strongly resembling post-rain funk. Medium-full. Very good presence of clear citrus that exert controlled intensity with attractive detail, settling down with relaxed demeanour after some time.

2018 Domaine Michel Noëllat Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts 1er. Good color. Generously endowed with darkish fruit interspersed with reddish highlights. Medium weight. Highly supple, seamlessly integrated with a subtle minerally vein. Impeccably proportioned with elegant verve. Great potential.

2017 Domaine J Coudray-Bizot Vosne-Romanée La Croix Rameau 1er, courtesy of Dr Ngoi. Classic pinot pint. Effusive rosy hues. Medium-full, imbued with an oily density within its seamless depth, exuding feminine intensity throughout its length. Only one of three owners of this tiny 0.6-ha plot.

2018 Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée La Colombière, courtesy of CHS. Good colour. Vibrant rosy tones and red fruits dominate, superbly structured with silky smooth tannins that exert lovely intensity. Highly integral and feminine, finishing with excellent length and linearity.

2019 Jean-Luc & Eric Burguet Vosne-Romanée Les Rouges du Dessus 1er, courtesy of Jordan. Classic pinot tint. Distilled fragrance of rose petals and red fruits laced with a note of ember that teased with delicate intensity on the medium palate. Good cohesion.

2014 Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er. Classic pinot tint. Delicious nose of rose petals amid haw and red fruits though the fruit is more recessed on the palate in favour of a more prominent saline note, displaying a furred biting intensity.

2009 Maison Roche Bellene Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er. Slightly darkish tint. Rather reticent in fruit, shrouded by a powdery medicinal quality that obscure its ample depth of dark currants. Medium-full, imbued with supple intensity and power within a frame of sweet resolved tannins.

2013 Claire Naudin (Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand) Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Gisela. Evolved pinot tint. Lovely lift of perfumed rosy fragrance, leading to a highly elegant, seamlessly layered open presence with plenty of feminine charm. From the wife of Jean-Yes Bizot.

2008 Jean-Luc & Paul Argeter Échezeaux Grand Cru. Brownish-red. Heavier presence of orangey-red hues from the ample depth of kumquat fruit. Open with supple intensity, displaying excellent linearity.

2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, courtesy of Philippe Capdouze. Classic pinot tint, proffering a well-defined bouquet of raspberries and mandarins with a tint of paraffin. Medium-full. Supple and well-structured with great refinement, developing further complexity with effusive powdery medicinal overtones that teased with gloved power and lithe intensity.

2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru, courtesy of Philippe Capdouze. Good colour. Rather restrained on the nose. The attention is clearly centered on the palate, boasting a controlled verve of intense mandarins and kumquat that offer tremendous inner detail with superb clarity of its layers of fruit, refined tannins and sublime acidity even though they are seamlessly integral. The nose came through much later, an effusive beguiling complex of perfumed characters that added further dimension to its length and finish. As always, La Tâche is truly a complete wine.

2010 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er PURE, courtesy of Winfred. Evolved pinot tint, indicating some age, proffering plummy red fruits, bramble and herbs marked by a sweetish entry on an earthy dusty base. Good rounded presence.

2014 Domaine de L’Arlot Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er, courtesy of Vic. Good colour. Generously endowed with red fruits that impart effusive fragrance and rosy intensity from its subtle depth. Considerably more mellow after some time, revealing early secondary characters against a slightly dryish backdrop. This final effort of Jacques Devauges (before he left for Cos de Tart) has character. Excellent.

2014 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er, courtesy of John. Good colour. Unusual sharp note of capsicum amid red fruits on the nose. Medium-full. Good concentration, imbued with lovely freshness and purity though the finish is a little short.

2005 Domaine Dominique Laurent Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er. Poured from magnum. Good extraction, displaying a brilliant ruby, leading to a weighty palate of ripe wild berries and bramble that exude a bit of mustiness.

2000 Bouchard Père et Fils La Romanée Grand Cru, courtesy of Sameer. Good colour with a distinct crimson rim, exuding a cool ripeness of mature red fruits with glowing rosy hues. Utterly seamless and impeccably proportioned though the fruit appears rather distant, laced with understated acidity, giving the illusion of a certain weightlessness on the medium palate almost to the point of aloofness, finishing with fine linearity. Highly feminine. You probably can’t tell this is the great monopole grand cru if blinded.

2009 Maison Leroy Vosne-Romanée, courtesy of Nasrat. Evolved color. Nose of warm gravel amid a gentle feminine lift of mature red fruits. Rounded and utterly seamless, yet wonderfully detailed in its subtle layering, imparting regal elegance with effortless grace. Drinking even better than the 2000 Bouchard La Romanée Grand Cru. The old lady certainly knows how to work her magic.

2002 Château d’Yquem, courtesy of Winfred. Dull golden. Wonderfully perfumed bouquet, literally leaping out from its rich luscious depth of nectarine and apricot that shone with brilliant intensity of white tones. Amazingly lithe and agile, only just developing some early maturity. Excellent.

FICOFI held a large-format evening at 1-Atico, perched on the 55th floor of ION Orchard, Singapore, on 22 September 2023 where bottles of jeroboam, imperial and double-magnums abound. Wines in large format generally age better and retain their freshness longer due to a much lower surface-to-air ratio between the wine and the bottom of the cork, lesser micro-oxygenation and the thicker glass which insulates against temperature variation and light penetration. This was evident that evening where the 1976 Bouchard Clos de la Mousse and 1990 Pichon Lalande were wonderfully expressive. Where cost and practicalities are favourable, magnums are definitely the ideal bottling for home cellars. Many thanks, Chee Wee!

2000 Champagne Henriot Millésimé. Jeroboam (3L). Pale. Forward balance of clear citrus and melons amid yeasty overtones, yielding good clarity and precision with clean dry intensity.

2016 Domaine Dujac Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er. Methuselah (6L). Pale. Classic Puligny nose of chalky white tones, a little creamier over time. The medium-weight palate is surprisingly restrained, imbued with a lean cool ripeness of distilled fruit tinged with nutmeg, displaying gentle depth with excellent clarity and precision. Harmonious and impeccably proportioned but almost nonchalant.

2016 Domaine Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Le Clos du Cailleret 1er monopole. Jeroboam. Light greenish. Surprisingly reticent on the nose though the palate is fairly ample in white fruits, quite harmonious with a plump rounded presence, yielding further notes of nutmeg and olives over time, laced with peppery spice at the sides. I feel that the inaugural 2014 still reigns supreme.

2006 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. Imperial (6L). Effusive notes of nectarine, varnish, enamel and apricot with powdery textures, layered with structured cool tones that impart fine intensity with a hint of oily diesel on a chalky base.

2016 “Y” d’Yquem. Double-magnum (3L). Pale golden. Effusive forward balance of pineapples, durians and longans topped with a dash of nectarine, underpinned by fabulous acidity that impart tight restrained intensity, developing a subtle base of ferrous elements over time. Still primal but likely to develop very well.

2000 Poderi Aldo Conterno Granbussia Riserva Barolo. Jeroboam. Very dark, boasting an impressive depth of black fruits and currants that still exude youthful intensity amid secondary medicinal tones and bramble, its tannins having softened considerably, yielding lovely fragrance but still far from ready in this super-large format.

1976 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune Clos de la Mousse 1er. Magnum (1.5L). Fairly deep in colour and pinot character at its core, still imbued with good presence of mature red fruits that impart fine vigour in spite of its soft feminine character, glowing with a refined floral fragrance, just a little short.

2016 Domaine Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Cinq Terroirs. Jeroboam. Fresh raspberries dominate amid floral scents, boasting ample presence of cool ripe fruit that exude silky tannins with darkish refined intensity. Seriously good for a blend of five village plots of northern Gevrey centred around Brochon.

2015 Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er. Jeroboam. Good colour. Quite effusive in dried plums and red fruits though the medium-weight palate is rather reserved, showing some early development where soft rosy hues dominate with well-integrated acidity, a tad short. Way too polite and feminine.

2018 Domaine Prieuré Roch Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er. Magnum. Slightly deeper in colour for pinot, delivering forward aromas of raspberries, wild berries and red plums. Very well structured and integrated with soft refined tannins on a dusty minerally base, yielding fine detail.

2014 Domaine Pierre Damoy Chambertin Grand Cru. Jeroboam. Good colour. Arresting bouquet of fragrant red fruits and cherries while haw, rhubarb and sweet enamel dominate on the fleshy medium-weight palate. Well integrated but a little uneven with understated intensity. I always feel that Pierre Damoy is more successful with Clos de Bèze, of which it owns the lion’s share.

1995 Château Clerc Milon. Double-magnum. Good colour. Lovely glow of mature dark fruit amid wisps of capsicum and briar. Very open, supple but lean, seamlessly integrated with soft melted tannins that exude fragrant rosy hues against dryish Pauillac characters. Excellent, not far at all behind the 1989 Mouton Rothschild.

1990 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Imperial. Evolved ruby. Beautifully expressive and captivating bouquet of haw, cherries, mulberries and raspberries. The soft medium-weight palate is distinctly feminine, wonderfully expansive with an inviting velvety warmth perfectly balanced against its distilled minerally detail, displaying regal poise and elegance. Often described as the vintage where the vines shared the grief of the legendary May-Eliane de Lencquesaing at the passing of her beloved husband, it has taken thirty-three years for the 1990 Pichon Lalande to unfurl its true character. Absolutely superb, rivalling the 1989 Mouton Rothschild this evening.

1989 Château Mouton Rothschild. Imperial. Deep crimson. Beautiful glow dark currants, mulberries and raspberries against the dryish textures of Pauillac. Equally beguiling on the plump fleshy palate of medium depth, set with relaxed plummy tones amid delicious haw, stamped with vivid freshness and understated acidity. Boasts great refinement, no doubt benefitting from the super-large bottling. Caught at optimal maturity. Superb.

1988 Château d’Yquem. Double-magnum. Dull golden, proffering mature fruit of apricot and honeyed toast with a glowing placid stillness, perhaps even a little stern and austere in spite of its fresh acidity. Fleshed out better over time with glimpses of tropical fruit and inner detail.

SanMartino 99 Prosecco Treviso DOC NV, from the list of restaurant GEMMA, 01 Sep 2023. Quite effusive in green fruits, melons and peaches. Medium-full. Rather sweetish at first before taking on an increasing dryness with cool structured intensity matched by a moderate depth of ripe fruit. Drinking well.

2020 Albert Bichot Mercurey Blanc, on board SQ392 Business Class from SIN-IST, 03 Sep 2023. Rather muted on the nose though the medium palate exudes a very fine chalky presence with floral accents, yielding good clarity with traces of salinity.

2005 Château Calon Ségur. Aired in bottle for three hours ahead of dinner at Jia He, 09 Sep 2023. Deep garnet. Austere darkish characters on the nose and full palate, concentrated with a deep intensity of black fruits framed by structured tannins and crisp acidity almost to the point of astringency before giving way to cool black berries and dark plums against the dryish backdrop of northern Médoc, fanning out with a spicy ripeness. Good balance.

2016 Claire Naudin (Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand) Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Clematis Vitalba, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 12 Sep 2023. Opaque yellowish-greenish hue, proffering yellow citrus and kumquat on the nose. The highly-strung palate is tightly gripped by vivid acidity that impart fleeting intensity, giving way eventually to characters of lemon peel and emergent medicinal tones before gelling together in a structured harmonious presence with darker shades. Very highly rated by critics (is it because her husband is Jean-Yves Bizot?) though I think this wine is likely to polarise opinions. Either you like it or you don’t.

2018 Domaine Henri Rebourseau Gevrey-Chambertin La Brunelle, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, on 12 Sep 2023. Deep purple. Nose of mahogany, varnish, wild berries and raspberries. Medium weight. Relaxed presence, though there is some intrusive varnish that lead to traces of mint. Gelled very well with an open high-toned intensity, seamlessly integrated.

2016 Château Prieuré-Lichine. Aired in bottle for 90 minutes ahead of dinner at Summer Hill, 14 Sep 2023. Deep garnet. Appears to be much more developed than before, proffering attractive notes of dark berries, raspberries and currants amid leafy capsicum and early cedary characters while its tannins are appreciably softer and finer, carrying decent weight with a balanced fleshy presence. A no-brainer at only SGD99 all-in.

2019 Domaine Larue Saint-Aubin En Montceau 1er. Aired for two hours ahead of dinner at Crab At Bay, 16 Sep 2023. Pale, proffering icing, green melons and fig with floral scents. Excellent fullness of citrus fruit that shone with fine clarity and just the right degree of acidity amid subtle ferrous elements that exert superb tensile presence and freshness, turning a tad creamier over time. Gelled together with harmonious warmth, developing a tinge of olives.

Champagne Gosset Grand Rosé Brut NV, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 19 Sep 2023. Burnished golden hue, exuding gentle aromas of mandarins whilst grapefruit and pomelo dominate on the full palate with dry intensity, almost brash, before fleshing out with a rounded body of emerging citrus and bitter lemon laced with a trace of sweetness.

2018 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Île des Vergelesses, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 19 Sep 2023. Darker tint of pinot, proffering a ripe warmth of raisins and sweet dried berries on the nose. Very well-integrated sleek medium presence with the right level of acidity, displaying a bit of waxiness before fleshing out with seamless layers of fruit, acidity and persuasive tannins, all impeccably proportioned with superb cohesion. Delicious finish. Outstanding value.

2021 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay, tasted over 19-20 Sep 2023. Pale. Attractive bouquet of melons, fig, green fruits and lychees. Structured with clean precision though distinctly reductive, dominated by an austere ferrous floor that gradually gave way to tropical white fruits of growing intensity, culminating in a glowing complex.

2020 Beau Paysage Tsugane Chardonnay, courtesy of LCW at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Unusual nose, dominated by cool flavours amid weighty tones of chalk and white fruits. Similarly styled on the medium palate, bright and pebbly, showing white floral tones tinged with saline and vanillin that shone with fresh acidity though there is a certain attenuation to its depth. Reminded me very much of Rhône varietals, but this is a straight chardonnay from the prefecture of Yamanashi in Japan, just south of Tokyo.

2018 Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay, courtesy of Sung Lin at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Luminous. Clean chalky nose with floral scents. Very well integrated and defined presence, structured with chiseled precision and refined intensity, developing further detail of chamfered white tones. Very Puligny-like.

1994 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Aired overnight in bottle, courtesy of HY Lau at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Opaque crimson. Classic Pauillac nose of dried tobacco, wood shavings and tea leaves that leapt from the glass. Open and highly supple, seamlessly layered with darkish fruit laced with crisp acidity that bathed the medium-weight palate in a lovely glow. Distinctly feminine, and still beautifully fresh.

1998 Château Certan de May de Certan. Aired overnight in bottle, courtesy of HY Lau at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Opaque brownish tint. Weighty bouquet of rye and mature dark plummy fruit tinged with medicinal overtones though the palate is only medium weight, displaying supple intensity with receding fruit.

2010 Champagne Dom Pérignon, courtesy of Tan Ying-Hsien, MW, at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Pale, proffering icing and other glacial tones amidst a perfumed floral fragrance. Medium-bodied. Bright and distinctly reductive, displaying dry cutting intensity that confer immediate freshness though it is neither plump nor outright lean, developing a base of austere minerals over time. Unable to disguise its short finish, probably a function of the vintage.

Champagne La Closerie “&” Extra Brut LC20 NV (élevage by Jérôme Prévost), courtesy of Jonathan Chan at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Lovely luminosity. This super-exclusive 100% pinot meunier opens with a reductive pungency amid some yeasty overtones, beautifully layered with crisp citrus and exotic white fruits with rounded darkish tones that fan out with medium intensity within a sheen of delicate bubbles, developing a deeper vein of minerally elements after some time that impart austere undertones.

2013 Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot Arbois Trousseau Singuiler, courtesy of Juliette at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Opaque red, most deceptively brickened and mature-looking though the wine is undoubtedly youthful, exuding a beguiling red plummy fragrance, highly perfumed, imbued with fresh acidity amid a rounded plump velvetiness within resolved tannins, displaying an attractive juiciness tough the fruit is a little distant. Just a tad short. From the Jura region.

1993 Domaine Robert Ampeau et Fils Auxey-Duresses Les Ecusseaux 1er, courtesy of Tan Ying-Hsien, MW, at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. This bottle opened with a bit of cork taint from its opaque brownish red that, thankfully, blew off to reveal supple autumnal fruit imbued with pronounced acidity. Still holding on, but only just.

2019 Egly-Ouriet Coteaux Champenois Cuvée des Grands Côtes Ambonnay Rouge Vieilles Vignes, courtesy of LCW at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Good color. Opens with some funkiness amid wet gravel, laced with minty tones that spilled over onto an intense medium-full palate of red fruits and cherries imbued with cutting acidity.

2015 Pilliterri Riserva Famiglia Appassimento Cabernet Franc, courtesy of HY Lau at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Deep garnet. Ample depth of dark fruits and currants that exude minty licorice with masculine proportions, structured with tight tannins that exert controlled intensity. Good balance and sophistication.

2007 Château Rayas, courtesy of Alex at Imperial Treasure Great World, 23 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Displaying an evolved crimson, this wine proffered enticing notes of haw and red plums with a chamfered quality, tinged with sweet savoury characters that carried well onto the medium-full palate with excellent vigour and balance, structured with detailed tannins. Quite generously proportioned, finishing with a medicinal dash.

2018 Domaine Rapet Pernand-Vergelesses Sous Frétille 1er. Aired ahead of dinner at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Expansive glow of tropical fruits, particularly jackfruit, amid chamfered white tones. The concentrated palate has a certain crystalline quality, yielding fine clarity and excellent refinement, fleshing out with further chalkiness approaching that of Puligny without the usual plumpness. Excellent value.

1982 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, courtesy of Kieron at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Popped and poured. Tasted blind. Still displaying an impressive darkish purple, this wine seduces with beguiling red fruits amid some slick earthy pungency that I simply love, leading to a layered palate of crushed cherries and strawberries dressed in soft velvety tannins tinged with a dash of saline, still exuding lovely freshness and tension. Absolutely delicious. Drinking most beautifully at forty-one years and will continue to hold. Outstanding!

2015 Domaine François Lamarche Vosne-Romanée La Croix Rameau 1er, courtesy of Vic at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Purplish hue, exuding a bright sweet fragrance. Quite generously proportioned with intense supple red fruits, structured with detailed tannins, settling down eventually with rounded refinement. Lamarche was one of only three owners of this 0.6 ha premier cru (along with Coudray-Bizot and Cacheaux) but has sold off to Comte Liger-Belair.

2010 Isole e Olena Cepparello, courtesy of Kieron at Otto Ristorante, 25 Sep 2023. Tasted blind. Deep garnet. Quite masculine, layered with delicious red fruits and mandarins, rather forwardly balanced with a distinct graphite minerality that initially had me thinking of Saint-Julien. Shed its minerally base after some time, allowing more red fruit to develop with growing supple warmth, laced with a tinge of sweetness entirely consistent with sangiovese. Excellent.

2005 Roc De Cambes, aired in bottle for ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Klara Bistro & Charcoal Bar, 27 Sep 2023. Deep garnet. Excellent density of black fruits and currants, filling the medium-full palate with inky depth. Structured with expertly managed tannins imbued with a dash of graphite minerals, oozing a little savoury sweetness. Took on a luxuriant velvety fullness over time, exerting superb intensity with some early secondary development tinged with mocha and cedar. This François Mitjavile effort has all the hallmarks of a classified growth. Excellent.

2018 Maison Lejeune Pernand-Vergelesses, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 29 Sep 2023. Light greenish hue, exuding morning dew and delicate citrus with a floral lift. Medium-weight. Good density of fruit, subtly layered with lime, kumquat and distant melons coupled with briar, displaying a bit of rustic intensity. Drinking well.

2012 Piero Busso Barbaresco Albesani Riserva, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 29 Sep 2023. Poured from magnum. Clear reddish-brown. Effusive glow of dark fruits, olives and plums laced with traces of mint. Soft, fleshy and rounded, seamlessly structured with silky smooth tannins, gliding very elegantly with restrained power and intensity across the medium palate against a backdrop of mahogany.

2020 Domaine Lafouge Auxey-Duresses 1er Les Duresses, by the glass at 67 Pall Mall, Singapore, 29 Sep 2023. Deep ruby. Attractive bouquet of ripe raspberries dark cherries tinged with sweet vanillin. Rounded, fleshy. Darkish. Somewhat austere, introspective. Brightened up. Slick. Excellent mid body. Lovely Beaune character. Darkish undergrowth, Excellent fullness intensity. Bit of minty sweetness. Fanned out with even presence, tad short.

2018 Mondot, aired ninety minutes ahead of dinner at Jia He, 30 Sep 2023. Fairly deep garnet. Bright rosy hues of ripe raspberries and cherries which dominate with lovely freshness. Medium weight. Slightly forward, lightly varnished, structured with soft tannins. Delicious.

A simple dinner amongst some of the usual suspects on a free theme at Imperial Treasure Great World, 11 September 2023. All wines were blinded but, through sheer coincidence, both whites were superstar Meursaults located along the same road while both reds were superbly aged clarets at their peak. Many thanks, Bros!!

2018 Domaine Roulot Meursault Clos des Bouchères 1er monopole. Pale luminosity. Clean lift of distant peach and clear citrus in a chiseled reductive style, the fruit set a little backward in favour of ferrous elements and minerals that lend a distinct austerity. Maintained its lean precise profile even with emergent notes of pineapples and tropical fruit over time, eventually a little more relaxed and introspective. Unquestionably sophisticated though it may not be everyone’s idea of Meursault.

2002 J-F Coche-Dury Meursault, courtesy of Sir Bob. Clear luminosity. Highly enticing nose of ripe citrus with a detailed floral scent. The palate is still wonderfully fresh and plump, imbued with vivid acidity amid pomelo and traces of bitter lemon that teased with lithe intensity, boasting great precision and linearity throughout its fabulous length before developing a chalky white density over time. This is Coche-Dury in the old style that many still prefer. Outstanding.

1986 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, courtesy of Kieron. Decanted on-site. Deep purplish core with substantial bricking, exuding an effusive funk on the nose that gave way to a glorious glow of mature claret. Still beautifully full and fleshy in darkish fruit, subtly structured with very lithe tannins that ooze a bare trace of sweetness, laced with sleek acidity on a slightly dusty floor. One of the finest examples of Grand-Puy-Lacoste.

1983 Château Margaux, courtesy of Sir Bob. Deep garnet with a brownish tint. Some age is evident from the effusive glow of raspberries and dark currants amid characters of bramble and dried leaves. Beautifully rounded and fleshy, its tannins having melted completely, leaving behind quite a glorious depth of fruit tinged with leafy capsicum, utterly seamless and still wonderfully vibrant, shot through with great pedigree. Still going strong at forty years without any hint of drying.

An informal meeting of the Jürade de Saint-Émilion du Singapour at San Shu Gong on 30 August 2023, where even the Saint-Émilion Grand Crus were drinking well. Many thanks, KC, for organising and for the 1966 as well!

2016 Château Cantenac, courtesy of the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion. Shy. Deep crimson. Medium-full. Ample depth of red fruits and black currants that exert structured intensity with sharp definition.

2016 Château Tour Peyronneau, courtesy of the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion. Dark crimson. Big but well-proportioned, gelling together with silky tannins and unobtrusive acidity. Very cohesive and not without charm. Drinking surprisingly well. Many felt the same way.

2016 Château Grand Corbin, courtesy of the Wine Council of Saint-Émilion. Deep ruby. Appreciably more sophisticated. Ample presence of red fruits and dark currants, imbued with overtones of toffee and mocha within a smooth creamy sheen, appearing relaxed and elegant.

2015 Château Chauvin. Ex-château, courtesy of estate owner Sylvie Cazes. Deep crimson. Well extracted, tightly structured with massive proportions, still marked by a dominance of vanillin and paraffin. Not ready.

2010 Château Chauvin. Ex-château, courtesy of estate owner Sylvie Cazes. Deep crimson. Somewhat reductive on the nose. Well extracted but there is some early development, the abundant depth of dark fruits yielding a hint of mocha in spite of its tight tannic intensity. Tremendous vigour. Highly promising.

2018 Mondot. Good colour. Delicious nose of red cherries, carrying well onto the cool ripe medium-full palate with a hint of warm gravel, structured with refined tannins that impart supple intensity. Drinking well. This second label of Troplong-Mondot is an entirely separate 10-ha plot of 100% merlot.

2011 Château Valandraud, courtesy of Marc. Deep crimson, exuding a perfumed fragrance of rose petals and predominant red fruits. Medium weight. Fairly developed now with supple rounded tannins supported by understated minerals. Very beautifully balanced and delicious. Drinking the vintage.

1966 Château La Gaffelière, courtesy of KC. Mature crimson. Still imbued with very good presence of red fruits and plums set against soft autumnal characters of rhubarb and Chinese tea leaves presented in an elegant seamless entity laced with subtle complexity and reasonable acidity, not drying out at all. Supple finish. What a privilege!

The usual suspects again plus a couple of guests at Tang Yun, Tanglin Club Singapore, on 29 August 2023 on a free theme. The stemware isn’t quite optimal but the wines were still brilliant, as was the company. Many thanks!

2019 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet. Keen bouquet of citrus with a mild floral fragrance, developing effusive notes of tropical fruit followed by a transfiguration into the dense white tones of Chassagne. Well-endowed with fruit that shone with fine clarity and a high-toned acidity supported by a deeper base of minerally elements that impart a trace of austerity, yielding good definition.

2017 Domaine Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault-Charmes 1er, courtesy of Kieron. Lovely luminosity, opening with restrained floral scents on a cool palate of pears and orchard fruit infused with a gentle minerally presence. Rather understated at first, gradually warming up with distilled white tones and further notes of vanillin that teased with refined elegance, yielding good clarity. We all thought St-Aubin.

1998 Vieux Château Certan, courtesy of Sir Bob. Darkish purplish core, exuding a lovely cool fragrance of ripe blueberries, violets and dark cherries against a slightly dryish backdrop of capsicum and cigar box that define the classic glow of a mature claret. The medium-weight palate is highly supple and harmonious with an ethereal feel, very gently layered with melted tannins. Distinctly feminine. We were unanimous in calling it Right Bank.

2003 Château Lafite Rothschild, courtesy of Pipin. Deep crimson. The impression on the nose is that of a very modern style, a gentle predominance of red fruit and currants underpinned by a pungent earthiness glossed with a distinct note of varnish whilst the element of glycerin continued on to a weighty concentrated palate laid with warm velvety textures, very ripe and richly layered, imparting overtones of incense. It reminded me very much about the style of Stephan von Neipperg.

2011 Domaine Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru, courtesy of Andre. Some age is evident here with a delightful profusion of soft red fruits and tangerines. The medium weight palate is fresh and lively, a harmonious blend of maturing delicate fruit and sweet sophisticated tannins that yield clean chiseled definition, just a little short.

2012 Domaine François Lamarche Grands Échezeaux Grand Cru, courtesy of Vic. Beautiful pinot tint, displaying a predominance of rounded red fruits and refined acidity that sat in the glass with relaxed charm. Cleanly structured with good power and lean definition, finishing with tapered intensity.

2017 Domaine Henri Magnien Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, courtesy of Tim. Deep dark pinot tint, exuding delicious ripe fruit with youthful intensity. Distinctly modern profile of well-extracted plummy fruit and mandarins with overtones of ember and gun metal minerals, structured with tight tannins and cutting acidity.

2015 Domaine Marquis D’Angerville Volnay En Champans 1er. Darkly coloured. Ample depth of restrained black fruits and currants that impart youthful dark intensity amid cherries and savoury characters, more harmonious and open with a ripe warmth after some time. Not quite ready yet.

2005 Domaine Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares Grand Cru, courtesy of Kieron. Good colour. Full, rounded and voluptuous, oozing sweet supple tannins from the fleshy depth of soft red fruits that exert cool elegant intensity. Absolutely delicious.