Mature hue. Exuburent sappy, spicy Pinot nose of plum, cherry, game, musk, undergrowth and damp earth. Silky, slippery, light-medium body palate harbouring similar exemplary varietal fruit flavours, wrapped in lively integrated acidity and fine-grained tannins. A kiss of savoury oak on a long, impressive departure. Probably nearing the peak of its powers but should hold for several years. Drink now-2012. Rated as Excellent, about 90 points.

I remember reading somewhere, Laurent likes to show off this particular label of his considerable portfolio when he needs to impress someone of the results of his recent labours (remembering, of course, Laurent buys all his wine in as grapes or must). On tonight’s showing, I can see why!

Labelled  by many scribes as Mr. 200% Oak (for his regular practise of racking new barrel into new barrel) this wine contradicts the (often justified) generalisation.

Displaying a rust-infused, deep plummy colour, the bouquet offers up wonderful spicy, sappy scents of Satsuma plum, sous bois, game pie, tomato leaf and a fair whack of quality savoury, malty, cinnamon-tinged French wood. The palate reveals a creamy old vine consistency, immaculate purity, layer upon layer of flavour and a rivetting texture. Blessed with an equilibrium rarely found in many lesser Burgundy labels, there’s a wealth of finely honed, slighty gritty, chalky tannins that counterbalance the rich plummy fruit. The acidity level is adequate to promote liveliness but the overall impression in the mouth is all about a fuller, fatter style of Pinot that works very well in this instance. To complete this appraisal, this 1er finishes with considerable aplomb - plenty of seriously good, resinous tannin and a replay of the sappy plums I’ve alluded to above. Drink now or over the next several years. 92 points. Noice job with this one, Dominique!   

Jean-Marie Fourrier’s spectacular efforts in restoring the reputation and fortunes of this once revered domaine are highlighted in this outstanding example of Red Burgundy.

Harbours a transluscent, bright light ruby/red core with some rust in the meniscus followed by a rivetting spicy, sappy, savoury bouquet of red fruits, mainly plum and cherry, earthy morellos, cardamon, spice box with a deft touch of undergrowth and seasoned oak. Compelling, charming, beautifully balanced and perfectly honed. Bravo! The palate continues the drill with similar aplomb - gorgeously silky and svelte in the mouth with a replica of nuance found on the nose, remarkably good acidity, a lovely touch of minerale and just brilliantly judged fine lacy tannins. To top things off the finish is smooth and awfully long with the fruit, acid and tannins persisting in complete harmony. Drinking incredibly well now, this brilliant “feminine” Pinot Noir has the necessary ingredients to live for many years at this extraordinary high level. 93 points 13.5% A/V 

My first hit-out with this vineyard and vintage, although I have tried several bottles of the 1993 Clos des Chenes from this producer over the last several years.

Firstly, may I admit to having a soft spot for Volnay’s, especially of this class. My old friend, the late Tom Low, reminded me, on more than one occasion, that Volnay was revered by the ”aristocracy” for centuries, fetching far more than the current crop of favourites from Vosne-Romanee, Gevrey-Chambertin and Musigny. Funnily enough, there’s not a Grand Cru to be found in this appellation, a fact that makes the values of this underrated region all the better for the astute lover of fine Burgundy. Lafarge, in my mind, is at the top of the heap here, consistently producing succulent, feminine wines of great breed and class, although sometimes missing the sweet spot, as is the case with most producer’s from this variable climate.

This wine displays quite a mature hue with, initially, a reticent nose that opens, slowly but surely, with layer upon layer of finely meshed nuance building to a crescendo with several hours in the Riedel. Probably close to perfect to my liking, the nose eventually offers up mesmerising sappy morello’s and ripe green plums with hints of black truffles, sweet earth and deepset, background malty/caramel/savoury oak adding great depth and terrific authority. Overall, a presence of perfumed, perplexing pinosity rules the day here. Wonderful. The palate is absolutely delightful - silky, smooth and terribly long with gorgeous fruit, ripe acidity and far better, rounded tannin structure than any bottle of the, supposedly superior, Clos des Chenes, from the same vintage, demonstrates to date. Finishing with a slightly tart sappiness and lovely cherry/plum overtones, I would rate this wine at 93 points. Outstanding and worth every penny of the hundred dollars I forked out to secure the bottle. Bravo! Drink now to 2013+. 13% A/V    

Leroy’s proprietor, Madame Lalou Bize enjoys an exalted reputation around the world for producing spectacular pinot noir - I’ve only ever tried a few as they are hellishly expensive and, generally, very difficult to source. This wine certainly hits the sweet spot, but for over two hundred dollars a bottle, I’ll be looking elsewhere in future.

Medium ruby with a rusty outer edge. Ethereal, sappy nose housing deepset spicy plum fruit supported by superb savoury, malty French oak. Top shelf. Gorgeously seductive, silky entry into the mouth with similarly-etched ripe plummy fruit, bright acidity and a fine, integrated tannin regime few could emulate. The finish is awfully long, smooth as, with an awesome sappy aftertaste. Again, if I have to be brutally honest, I found the wine to lack a little bang for the big bucks. 92 points. Drink now-2012. Bottle number 122 of only 290 produced! 13% A/V.

An excellent pinot noir from this impressive producer expressing the terroir and vintage with aplomb. Healthy medium ruby with only minimal lightening in the edges followed by a sexy bouquet harbouring spicy, sappy notes of cherries, plums and a nice touch of savoury oak. Of medium body, the sleek palate provides ample flavours mimicking the nose to a tee, crisp acidity, the finest of fluffy tannins and a superbly delineated, mouthfilling departure. Although ready to drink this wine displays sufficient freshness and vitality to reward another 5-8 years superior drinking. 91 points.

One of my favourite Burgundian producer’s, this bottle harks back to the form I grew to expect with this specific label and vintage with the first few bottles opened. The last bottle tried (with a good friend) was so badly bacterially spoiled, I likened it to treated sewerage water. Now that I’ve got off my chest, onto the joys of this particular bottle …..

An attractive solid medium ruby with a smidge of amber and rust in the meniscus. Gorgeously perfumed feminine bouquet of spring flowers, black plums and cherries, subtle sweet earth/sappy notes, perfectly-judged background savoury oak and a beguiling top note of mixed spices (perhaps a little clove and cinammon). Close to perfect to my liking. In the mouth this wine excels with a sleek, svelte entry of beautifully ripened Pinot fruit (aka the nose), terrific mouthfeel and texture, positively counterbalanced by bright acidity and ripe, grippy, fine-grained tannins providing quite an awesome structure. Of medium weight, wonderful purity, great poise, harmony as well as exceptional length, this rates as the best Red Burgundy I’ve tried this year, pipping Rousseau’s 1990 Clos St. Jacques by a couple of points. A wine of elegance, subtlety but brimming with mind-blowing complexity and controlled intensity. Exceptional. 95 points. Drink now-2016+

13% A/V. 60% new oak

Footnote: Just a short explanation for the lack of any particular vineyard mentioned in the header. When a producer blends the grapes from two or more 1er Cru vineyards the vineyard’s names can’t be published on the label. In this case, Alain Meunier blended juice from “Feusselottes” and “Chatelots” - sometimes necessary when the Domaine’s vineyard holdings are just too small to make commercially viable quantities of either.  

Reveals a youthful, saturated dark ruby colour with only minimal bricking in the edges. The deep, brooding bouquet abounds with damp earth, spice, game, plenty of savoury oak over deepset sappy/plummy fruit. Similarly etched in the mouth, this flavoursome, youthful Burg needs more time. Gobs of Satsuma plum, game and pinot sap are, presently, just a little at out of whack with mouth-puckering acidity and plenty of grip from fine-grained, but powerful, drying tannins. Exceedingly long power-packed finish. At least 3 or 4 years further cellaring required. It should last another decade thereafter. I believe there’s sufficient fruit in reserve to handle this proposition. 92 points today, with, hopefully, a higher rating sometime early in the next decade. Big, bruiser of a pinot, very much in the Leroy style. 13% A/V 

Bright medium ruby holding very well to a rusty outer edge. Initially threw up refreshing, primary scents of spring flowers and bing cherry, gradually replaced with a forceful, intriguing, almost nettly, sappy mix of cinnamon-coated damson plums, sweet earth and savoury/nutmeg oak. Sleek and quite racy in the mouth, displaying admirable purity and delineation with bright acidity and fine, lacy tannins providing an impressive platform to carry the abundance of glossy cherry and plum fruit. With a finish of almost half a minute, this medium-bodied, classy Burg should drink well for another 5-10 years. Rated as Excellent (90 points). 13.0% A/V