Domaine de la Romanee-Conti 2013's...

I try each year to document my notes of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti wines. I did this with the DRC 2012's actually at the Domaine last year which was a real treat. Last Tuesday saw the annual press tasting of the 2013's - a vintage (the only vintage) I have been lucky enough to taste from barrel (see end of this POST). The wines are "finished" wines, served from bottle.

The wines in order of tasting are covered below (there is no Cuvee Duvault-Blochet in 2013), I am normally quite anal about putting Grand Cru, 1er Cru etc but as they are all Grand Cru...

Corton* - Markedly redder than it has been for the last few vintages, the first being 2009. Crisp and almost crunchy. This was the wine that I found most different at lunch with more volume of wine, it became more juicy with a bit more grip and grit. This is what 2013 Corton should be like, to my mind anyhow.

Echezeaux* - To me this is the wine that showed a whole bunch character the most. Pencil shavings and a little grit, fine-grained pepper too. It was driven and fresh with lively acidity and red fruits at the core...a serious Echezeaux, uncompromising.

Grands Echezeaux - A deeper and more substantial nose. More stuffing, darker fruit, good structure and a nicely sappy edge also, this is balanced and in common with the Echezeaux is a serious rendition.

Romanee-Saint-Vivant* - I am totally biased here having seen this wine come to full blossom over the last 15 years. This is floral and red fruited and with sincere focus. Intense, poised and quite linear. There is a little spice but it stays firmly in the background. I think 2013 exaggerates the strengths of RSV. Superb.

Richebourg - A lot of people mentioned this as a real favourite, I love how different it is from RSV. I'd almost always have the RSV if I was on a desert island and had to choose but hopefully that won't happen. The fruit is deeper and darker, blacker and more sturdy, as it should be. There is a little graphite and a very slight edge of orange rind. It's slightly like a combination of Corton, Clos Vougeot and Richebourg.

La Tache - The word that springs to mind, especially after such significant differences in the other wines, is "completeness". Elements of all the others and a seamless texture as well. There is that dash of spice and it is almost impossible to define the fruit as red or black as it is both. Refined and flamboyant in equal measure.

Romanee-Conti - Superb nose but somehow a little more one dimensional than La Tache. The palate is alive and very red-fruited and fresh a little like the RSV but with the texture of Tache. I am never worried by this wine not being head and shoulders above La Tache at this early stage. Romanee Conti always ages on its grace and harmony as this tasting taught me.

*the notes for these wines are an amalgam of the tasting and lunch.

The Montrachet is never shown at the tasting but I was lucky enough to try it over lunch afterwards.

Montrachet - Reduced nose (I love reduction), rich but not heavy. The palate has a balancing driven saline element that has a lot of energy to it. This is a cooler vintage Montrachet with great acidity, may be slightly less opulence. The nose over time lost the reductive covering with citrus, especially lemon, coming to the fore. This is in-line with the Montrachets from vintages like 2004 and 2007. Superb, cellar worthy and serious.

This is one of those days in the year that really makes me wish I had started my blog much earlier...

The "Lads" at The Greenhouse…

So a gathering of what - for reasons of confidentially - I seem now to refer to as "The Lads". The Greenhouse was the venue and sadly we were five not seven but with Nobby shuffling the deck winewise we had a hell of a line-up.

Salon 1997 is always a good place to start, it is showing a lovely balance, Lemon, citrus with a little shortbread, good life, it has a slightly saline edge...very long future ahead but it is no waste to drink now. Interestingly the sommelier served it decanted in the Zalto white wine glass…both of those things showed the wine well at this stage. The menu had been prepared specially, you don't get 2 stars easily...

Canapes

Beef, Avocado, Wild Mushroom

Cornish Crab

Mint jelly, Cauliflower, Granny Smith apple, Curry

Veal Head

Mint, Peas, Herbs

Native Lobster

Potimarron, Grapefruit, Vanilla, Tarragon

Dover Sole

Beetroot, Red Wine, Vadouvan spices

Chicken

Erbette, Snail, Wild garlic

Strawberry

Thyme, Sesame, Milk

So now it was time for the line up to go up a notch. We did the three whites one by one and blind, only blind for a few moments that is.

Meursault 1er Cru Les Boucheres 2011, Chateau Genot-Boulanger is a wine I do not know at all. I'll be totally honest and say I had an inkling towards white Bordeaux so fresh was this. That was never going to be likely but "nothing ventured" and all that. The freshness was from a nettley "good greenness". This looks to have a good future and when it was revealed as Meursault it made me think of the tight, mineral styles like Roulot, nice wine.

Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2011, Francois Carillon was the bottle I took, only the second time it has been made. Francois Carillon as an estate being first made (fully) in 2010. This is from a tiny 0.045 hectares. It was good to have it after another 2011, it opened up more and more with time as you'd expect. There is a slight lemon sherbet element but also some of the saline quality, clearly it is a "nipper" now but has a good future and it was fun to keep re-visiting it. Pretty classy.

Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 1986, Ramonet was so obviously much more mature, it was in now way tired, it was unctuously classy and moreish, there were elements of toffee and butterscotch but always with a drive and liveliness, really lovely, propper breadth too, it wasn't afraid to be Batard, full and quite masculine, the empty glass smelt like a sweet wine. Splendid.

The three Burgundian reds were served in turn so that we could look at each but also look at them together:

Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru 1993, Rousseau was absolutely delicious straight "off the bat" with red black fruits and a soft persistence, a lovely freshness went through the wine that kept it lively and airy, rose petals showed and a delightful balance. Very good indeed, very 1993 and very Pinot.

Chambertin Grand Cru 2001, Rousseau was every bit as good as I have dared hope. My note reads: Orangey tang and delicious, delicious brooding rich red and black fruit, a "puppy", very primary with a stunning palate but delicious now, does have a savoury edge, cheese and smokiness, love this...  

Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 2001, DRC - followed the Rousseau (not easy) brilliantly, lots of flavours, good fruit but also herbs, pencil shavings, less obviously so young, a little spice and herbs again, the some power too, graphite and just a dash of white pepper. Very complex.

It was a truly glorious trio, just what those two producers and Burgundy are, and should always be, about - complexity and drinkability. We then had two pairs of Bordeaux. It was one of those splendid occasions when nobody was bothered about a "winner", a real treat all round.

Magdelaine 1990 and Margaux 1985 formed the first flight. For the Magdelaine I had "Ink-like colour, showing well, bold, iron-like, savoury but with enough sweetness, rich, beefy, stocky, then dates, lovely" it is certainly on the savoury side as Magdelaine always is. A magnum of the Magdelaine 1985  was a real treat recently and much as I understand the reasons why it no longer exists in its own right (it nows forms a large part of Belair-Monange), I do feel it is a shame. We were a long way off with guesses, being on the other bank of the river but I am never unhappy to get this wrong (with a few exceptions). The Margaux was splendid also, a little drier and more reserved initially it somehow it had a bolder core and then became more lifted and aromatic, really lovely.

With "lunchers" energy not even starting to dip we were into the last pair of reds Cheval Blanc 1981 and Cheval Blanc 1959. I have to say I count my lucky stars every time I get to drink these older wines, the 1959 I really mean by that, when knowing they are from good cellars and are genuine. The way things are these days we would (at work) sadly run a mile from the wines from 1945, 1947, 1955, 1959 and 1961. But first the 1981. This was "forest floor" in character but then really quite rich, it was a quite degraded but sweet "naughty" smell, fresh with good lift, a confusingly good Cheval, (fortunately) I can't remember what I though it was. And so to the Cheval Blanc 1959, I always find these very good but fully mature wines difficult to describe but then that is the very nature of complexity. My jottings say "sweet, savoury, leathery, tobacco and soy, more soy, more sweetness, dates, amazing savoury texture, more ferrous than frivolous". It really was quite something, I think I guessed 1955 because the few of those I have had have the same energy and colour.

The final wine of lunch was de Fargues 1986, it was the only wine of the day that may be didn't quite show its full potential, it was still good and not faulty but it lacked energy, there were bruised dried apricots, lots of rancho richness and lots of the brûlée character.

What a lunch it was, wonderful wine, lots of great chat and the chance to look at some try great wines and wines that might go to even more special places…thanks as ever to "The Lads".

nb My only regret is that there is no picture of any labels or a line-up shot, for this I blame Ronaldinho fully, he distracted me…how is another story...

When will I ever learn…I didn't need this delicious Negroni….

DRC 2012's...I am biased but...

This is the first of three posts from the biennial meeting of the various Domaine de la Romanee-Conti agents from round the world. On the second morning we tasted the 2012's from bottle with 1 hour in the glass before tasting.

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti 2012’s

I have not commented on the colours here for two reasons, I am not good at it and in all honesty I do not feel it tells you a great deal at this stage.

My over-riding impression is of wines with a wonderful balance of fruit density and proper/serious structure, I imagine the vast majority will close down a fair bit in the next 2-3 years, this appears to me to be a vintage for the long term, like the 2010’s. While there will be charm early I think these wines need and demand time (more so than 2007, 2009 and 2011 for instance).

No Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru “Duvault-Blochet” was made in 2012 (nor in 2013). You may think given the name of this blog that this would be a disappointment but in honesty I like that it is not made each year. One day I would love to sit down and taste them all... 

Corton

Charming, quite dark fruit, the nose is true to Corton but with charm. You can feel the whole bunch vinification. The palate at this stage does not have the density, nor depth, of fruit that you get from the nose. There is good grip but it is not overpowering. Complexity will come with time for sure.

On re-visiting at the end of the tasting and with more air the forest fruits were coming out.

Score: 17-17.5

Drink: 2020-2030

Echezeaux

A shade reductive, which I like, lovely "complete" nose with an earthy element, multidimensional. There is fruit and as usual for the Domaine's Echezeaux it is red, it releases more and more with the air and swirling. The palate is red fruited also, more delicately but it grows. There is a good structure, not harsh but definite, very grown-up. I like this a lot, a very good Echezeaux.

On re-visiting at the end of the tasting and with more air it became more decadent and of course less reductive, the fruit is ever so slightly degraded, real complexity – I’m very impressed.

score:18.5+

drink: 2021-2034+

Grands Echezeaux

Less animal and more primary than Echezeaux in character, though less expressive, may be the most muted of all the wines in this tasting. Very complete, quite brooding and serious, alluring and academic.

On re-visiting at the end of the tasting and with more air it made me think that this will go more to the savoury end of the spectrum in time.

score: 18 – 18+

drink: 2022-2032+

Romanee-Saint-Vivant

I seem to love this wine more every year. I also feel the purity of fruit character is the closest to that of Romanee-Conti itself. Mellow yet precise red fruits hit you. There is a light freshness of orange peel as well. Easier to assess and easier to love than Grands Echezeaux. To counter the red fruit there is a gentle white pepper spice that I often find in Romanee-Saint-Vivant, it never overpowers but always balances the fruit. Very poised and attractive on the nose. It is though the seriousness of the palate that I think really marks the outstanding quality of this wine. Whilst the nose makes you flirt with it the palate makes you sit up and pay attention. There is a depth of minerality on the palate that lifts the complexity of the wine and makes it so moreish, a persistent and fine structure here that almost goes unnoticed but is there as a serious frame to the lovely fruit. As might be obvious I have really rather “fallen” for this wine.

On re-visiting I was delighted to have all the above confirmed, this is a superb Romanee-Saint-Vivant – seriousness to balance the attractiveness.

score: 18.5 – 19

drink: 2022-2035++

Richebourg

Tasting and reveling in the differences between Romanee-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg is one of the greatest parts of any tasting with the Domaine’s wines. Darker-fruit, more cherried and with some damson there is a certainty about Richebourg a rugged confidence, just short of swagger and so it is here. The palate shows a little less weight of fruit than the nose, not quite so brooding, more charm. The structure is clear but ripe.

On revisiting I found the biggest difference of all the wines, some animal a little graphite and cool savoury minerality as well as a good structure, may be the sleeper?

score: 18 - 18.5+

drink: 2024 – 2036++

La Tache

I got a tiny note of “grain” or as I noted, popcorn “unpopped”, immediately the glass was swirled it went. La Tache is so often the “confident senior sibling” and so it was here. The glass that was most empty at the end of the tasting. I find this often the hardest to describe but then tend to waffle. There is an earthy power, some links to Echezeaux here, that is very La Tache, this is expressively complex, more “sharp minded Bon Viveur” less the “intense academic”…There is a lovely structure a little mouthwatering dryness that leads to a dash of pepper, pink not white, herbs and gentle spice. With more air it gets more complete and harder to describe, this is a serious La Tache for the long term but as ever it is also charming and welcoming.

On re-visiting the above was just confirmed.

score: 18.5-19+

drink: 2022-2036+

Romanee Conti

The lift of fruited excellence that you see in Romanee-Saint-Vivant with some of the earthy complexity in the background that was evident in Echezeaux and La Tache, lovely. A striking balance of black and red fruits, powerful and brooding yet not too closed or too tense. This is serious, a keeper. There is sweetness but it is kept in check with a persistent and definite, if lightly worn, structure. To say the integration of the fruit, structure and texture is perfect is too technical but so true.

On revisiting there is so much depth and complexity, near perfect.

score: 19.5+

drink: 2024-2040+

Le Montrachet

The colour is confusing as everything is there, flashes of green, yellow, gold even. Real power and almost a spritz of youth. There are notes of brine and lowland malt mixed with white flowers and yellow fruits that stop just short of the tropical. The palate is so lively, so driven and focused, as was commented there is an almost Corton-Charlemagne tension like, verve and drive to the attack then the tongue is left in no doubt that this is Montrachet. There is an impression of sweetness and a textural weight to come. My hand written notes finish with “Epic potential”. This may well be a legend…so sad that there is so little but may be that plays a part?

score: 19-20

drink: 2019 – 2032++

Bernard Noblet spoke about the vintage after we tasted. 

One additional observation:

Were I to pair the reds on the basis of similarities of overall character it would be easy to my mind:

Corton with Richebourg

Echezeaux with La Tache

Romanee-Saint-Vivant with Romanee-Conti

As always, a privilege to taste the whole line-up and even more so to do it in Vosne-Romanee itself.

The Connaught...three pairs...

This was a dinner at the excellent "Sommeliers Table" at The Connaught...the first time I had been back since Sussex's 40th some four and a bit years ago. I am delighted to report the food is as outstanding as I remember it being. The gathering was a very knowledgable and opinionated group which is always good, this was my first outing with this group though I know them all individually.

We kicked off with a magnum of Krug 1996 which was tasting very well, serious with real depth and power. There is great acidity which balances the biscuity, saline and savoury palate. Clearly a wine with a long life ahead of it (especially in mag of course). It begged to be drunk but at the same time served the perfect role of making you hungry, very impressive. Thinking about this afterwards I wish I had left a small glass to re-taste later.

The main part of the evening was three pairs of red. There was a 1998 in each flight so the fundamental questions were.

1) Did you like both?

2) Did you have a preference?

3) Which one was the 1998?

4) Once 3 was revealed what vintage was the other?

5) Have a stab at what they are?

Now clearly getting all five questions answered and recorded for each of 6 wines by the seven who didn't know the wines was going to be a task - or 210 tasks in fact. So we tried our best and i'll refer to general themes where I can. Interestingly the there pairs were very obviously from the three regions, namely - Burgundy, Piedmont and Bordeaux.

So the first pair was La Tache 1998, DRC & Romanee-Saint-Vivant 2001, S.Cathiard, we had them with two delicious courses. Pumpkin Ravioli, Mostardo di Cremona, lobster with sage and Sea bass with white cocoa beans, clams, calamari, parsley.

To start with two of the most sought after and talked about producers is a rare treat. The preference for each was split down the middle. I got the vintage the wrong way round feeling that the initially more savoury nose of the Cathiard was the 1998 and the purity of the nose on the La Tache was 1999. As time went on the initially purity of the La Tache faded an the wine remained complete but may be without the depth you might expect of the this great Cru. The consensus was that it was slightly underwhelming. The Cathiard was just not very 2001 to me. It showed well. A little degraded and deeper/darker of fruit than 2001 would generally be from my experience. There is very little (circa 2.5 barrels) of this made. I liked it, as I think everyone did, I just ever so slightly wished the extraction had been a little more sympathetic...either way a lovely opening pair.  

As soon as we were served White Truffle Risotto from Aquerello rice, Parmagiano Reggiano I knew that we would probably be in Piedmont. The dish was great as was the Chicken, Jerusalem artichoke “albufera" that followed. The two wines in question were Barbaresco "Asili" Riserva 1996, Giacosa and Sori San Lorenzo 1998, Gaja. The room was fairly split over the preference possibly a slight leaning toward the Giacosa.

There was a collective failure on the 1998 scenario mostly, I feel, because the Gaja was so incredibly youthful. The Giacosa was open and slightly "frazzled" (a good thing with traditional Nebbiolo), there was sweet fruit on the nose and some oranges, always a traditional oxidative style. The Gaja was a markedly different style but a very impressive wine, vibrantly primary with cherry fruit, dark cherry at that, quite powerful too, I would be fascinated to see if it stays so bold and then fades over time or whether it does degrade and may be show more Nebbiolo character. A lovely pair for the stark differences.

So now Bordeaux - Cheval Blanc 1998 & Petrus 1999 served with Venison, Medjool date, pumpkin and Brussel sprout. This was a brilliant pairing, wine/wine and wine/food. Both wines had such lovely perfumes, helped by the cool but not cold serving temperature. The Cheval was initially more savoury and I think a shade more complex, I had it down as Trotanoy and I did just prefer it when forced, although in honesty I think the whole table loved both. The Petrus was a little closed initially then, with air, a high toned red fruit started to come out more and more, that trade mark Tropicality (not that that is a word) of Petrus. Both wines just had that fruit, structure, savoury balance that you want - really top notch. Both have serious futures but to own either and not have tried them at this lovely stage strikes me as a little bonkers.

The sommelier for the evening, Mirko, was then asked to pick a wine for the deliciously comforting and correctly over the top Armagnac Baba with chestnut and quince. We were all discussing mature Sauternes with vintages from 70's and 80's getting a few shouts. I thought the wine had an element of Rieussec rancio richness about it...but actually it was Chateau Tirecul-la-Graviere Cuvee Madame 2001, Monbazillac so despite all being "wrong" we were wrong for the right reasons I suppose. A good choice.

A brilliant evening of gentle teasing, wonderful wines, smashing food and lots of laughs. Our organiser/host and the team at The Connaught had all done us proud...

The baba

Lunch at Ronaldinho's...

A brilliant luncheon served by Ronaldinho at his house, brilliant food and just the job for the vast array of wonderful wines. Almost all the wines where from the cellar of the house. The storage, as the bottles showed, is perfect.

The assembled was the usual gang "The lads" – Ronaldinho, Irish, Chewy, Newcastle, Halifax and a couple of "Bon oeufs" who more than got the idea, I think they’ve spent years practicing!

There was the normal amount of boyish abuse as one would expect but at the end of the day everything was just so dam enjoyable…

The wines:

Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese 1999, E.Muller - Beautiful balance, fresh, young with a little spritz and soft citrus fruit, years ahead of it.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 1996, J.J.Prum - A little resinous and with more volume than the Muller, more texture, more richness but not the focus in honesty.

Chevalier-Montrachet 1986, Neillon - Smokey, honey, yoghurt, then struck match, not really showing the full age that it is, a lovely wine.

Montrachet 1992, Ramonet - Beautiful acidity and richness, profoundly good, very fine, smokey element but also rich fruit, white fruit, a little reduced with that hint of struck match, sublime, a wonderful wine that would be in the top ten bottles of the year any year, a privilege.

Mercurey 1971, Hugues & Yves de de Suremain - (served blind) Fascinating, fully mature, not serious but with aged red fruit and a little spice too, we all had a guess and I think I went for 60’s Gevrey…one of us went for Grenache and I could totally see why. Not the shabiest of vintages!



Volnay 1er Cru Taillpieds 1993, d’Angerville - Deliciously opulent colour, nose of red fruit and violets, almost cranberry, a lovely crunch to the fruit. Very interesting to contrast with Clos de Ducs 1993 tasted a few weeks later (blog to come!).

Volnay 1er Cru Taillpieds 1990, d’Angerville - Beetroot strong in colour, slightly chalky texture, opulent, a wine you’d love all to yourself to drink over a few hours and really wallow in. Juicy richness and a combination of red and black fruit.


Dominus 1991 - Mint and eucalyptus, amazingly youthful, opulent, almost like a time capsule or like it had been under screw cap. This was served blind and while I said I agreed with the idea of USA (or Australia even) I said loudly that there was no way it was Dominus! Oh how wrong.

Giscours 1966, BBR bottling - Very distinct black pepper, some nervous acidity, very good, dark fruit but not without lift, somehow I couldn't get as excited as some about this but it was very good.

Palmer 1966, BBR bottling - Gorgeous nose of sweet fruit and a floral edge of violets, really stunning, the palate did not live up to the balanced fresh beauty of the nose but to be fair it was a crazy act to follow.

Ducru Beaucaillou 1970 - Saline, has a little hint of swimming pool, this goes quickly, then we have a good luscious palate that is delicious right now.

Palmer 1970 (magnum) - Pepper and mint with a savoury edge, more savoury than Ducru as a whole, my note says “I like this but it is not exciting”

Romanee-Saint-Vivant 2001, S.Cathiard - Quite high octane, very pure, very lifted and very red fruit, some creaminess to the palate, very much primary, really good, stops short of being too glossy. Impressed.


Romanee-Saint-Vivant 1990, DRC - Decadent, delicious, so fine, perfect now but no rush of course, has real depth of texture, red fruit mainly but also some black in the back ground, in an early secondary phase, so long, delicious, just lovely…

Bonnes Mares 1985, Dujac (magnum) - The sort of wine that almost makes you feel guilty for loving it’s openness and just pure opulent loveliness. There is a slightly degraded, sweet Asian spice and a slight orange rind aroma, really very delicious. Could drink lots of this...

Chambertin 1983, Rousseau - Mature in a masculine way, a savoury earthiness to this, good power but not a bruiser, I liked this, may be not the freshness of some of the wines but very impressive for 1983.

The order got slightly strange from here, as did my note taking...

Yquem 1975 – Superb, I have had this a couple of times and always liked it but this particular bottle was on electric form, bright and focused but maturing, a very classical Yquem, a sort of savoury crème brulee base but at the same time fresh fruit…bang on!
Cheval Blanc 1964 - dry but very decent if not exciting (bottle was a very low level).

Fonseca 1963 - in many ways a similarly brilliant experience to the Yquem, just a pristine example of a great bottle, black fruit and compote but also just the right amount of pepper and spice, not heavy but rich and full, still in mid age, excitingly good.

Chambertin 1990, Rousseau - Was just as you can imagine, rich, brooding and full. So very long...should have paid more attention...

Chewy and I managed to avoid the drinks trolley on the train home but I am sure we talked some right old nonsense rather loudly...

A legendary day...when's the next one?

Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2011's

Friday the 7th February was the day for one of the annual treats - the Press Domaine de la Romanee Conti Tasting. I will write my views on the wines but as I work for the agent I am (very) biased. Mind you what I think is of little consequence to their success but I feel it is important, if only for myself, to try and note my impressions.

To following on from the 2009's and 2010's is quite a task. It is very fair to say that there isn't the sexiness of the 2009's or the out and out class, poise and structured precision of the 2010's but these wine stood up very well. Very Pinot and with good balance and grace. I would imagine they will hit their plateau before either '08, '09 or '10.

A small note for accuracy I tasted at between 7.45-8.10 am as I was also checking the bottles for the tasting. We always serve them very cool, as they would be served at the Domaine. Given the name of this blog it is important to note that there is a 1er Cru Cuvee Duvault Blochet in 2011 but that it will only be sold domestically in France (the same happened with the 2004). A shame if a slightly understandable one…may be one day I can organise a tasting of all the DB's.

There simply wasn't the time for long notes, so actually they are more comments:

Corton Grand Cru - Comfortably the most Corton of the three that have been produced. A gritty yet somehow classy structure. A darker fruit character. Very poised and impressive - 17.5

Echezeaux Grand Cru - Impressive this year, sometimes I feel it gets a little over shadowed but I really liked it here. Pure primary red fruits after the Corton's darker ones. A little spice in the mix also, both open and ready as well as potential serious, interesting to follow - 17.5

Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru - I said last year that after 14 years of tasting this wine on release I was finally starting to understand it, this continued in 2011. It was more masculine than Echezeaux, a little more obviously serious also, there was a fruit character that showed more richness and darkness than Echezeaux, again quite a sleeper (like '10), one to watch - 17.5-18 (this may prove conservative)

Richebourg Grand Cru - Darker fruit, as always more brooding and bigger with definite grip, a wine with a very wide drinking window. Very rich and also a little drier. I always find that I feel guilty for not being more positive with Richebourg - 17.5-18.5

Romanee-St-Vivant Grand Cru - Overt and really quite expressive, somehow looser in structure, also more sweetness. Feminine and pretty as ever but the depth continues to increase each year. There is no need to argue about it but people do tend to be in the Richebourg camp or the Romanee-St-Vivant camp and I am definitely the later - lovely, lovely wine that it would never be a shame to drink. 18-18.5

La Tache Grand Cru - Quite extravagant, lots to "see", amazing depth especially on the palate. Rich but not heavy, lasting spice. Managing to do the high notes of RSV but with the underlying depth of Richebourg, impressive wine - 18.5-19

Romanee Conti Grand Cru - It may sound silly but it is a "feeling" and a texture you get with Romanee Conti as much as a taste or aroma. It almost says "I'm all here but I'll come out when I want to". Exquisite balance and poise and plenty of structure but not an obvious type of structure - 19

With Lunch afterwards a it has become a tradition (long may it last!) to taste the Montrachet which this year was painted as more of a "Watercolour" to the "Oils" of 2010. There is often a hedonistic edge of Botrytis about the Montrachet and there was a little of that but the impression you are left with is more of balance and a real understanding that you mustn't try too hard in 2011. 18-18.5

Only another year to wait then….