2016 base. Really excellent showing, full of pizazz and well-balanced flavour - easy-drinking but not unserious. I said I would quit buying this after the dodgy 2015 base, but might have to reconsider that now.

At present this wine is brooding, keeping much of itself in reserve, but you can't miss the understated quality as you drink it, like the satisfying clunk of the door of a Mercedes. Nearly two years since I last tried it, much of the screaming energy of youth has receded, but the perfect, crystalline nature remains. To my taste this was more enjoyable still once it had warmed up slightly, bringing out a subtle creaminess to accompany the fruit. Already looking forward to the next bottle!

This was absolutely gorgeous! Hard to describe, as great wines often are, it was served slightly too cool but quickly got into its stride. The nose was like a compelling green-yellow cloud, smelling entirely of itself, then on the palate nicely mature, with yellow apple, honey, lemon cream, mouthwatering but smooth acidity and an oily, sensual quality. I'd been sitting on this for a while, waiting for the right occasion, and delighted it showed so well.

Magnum. This was superbly mature, with plenty of delicious gamey aromas but the magnum having kept it very fresh, preserving plenty of lovely red fruit. Silky, elegant, food-friendly and incredibly drinkable.

The 2015 and 2017 of this were very good when I tried them, so it makes sense that this bottle also performed excellently, although I was surprised at how well it was drinking at this stage. A very cool, restrained, dark wine, almost Chateau Montrose-meets Burgundy, with espresso-like concentration yet no feeling of warmth or thickness. A real pleasure to drink, and I think the Zalto Burgundies were a perfect vessel in this case.

Wow - even among a strong line-up, this wine was mesmerising, and its perfume has stayed with me for the few days since I drank it. There was always something about Cornas that made me want to persist with it, just as I did with stinky cheese and Islay whisky, and this bottle vindicated that. Blackcurrant, blueberry, throat pastilles, herbs and violets were some of the components of the nose, but really this should just be described as seamless and seductive. Wonderfully medium-bodied and balanced, drinking the wine was like being politely but insistently gripped by the archetypal velvet glove. Superb!

Sherry is an easy thing for me to like, and this was no exception. I found the style quite Palo Cortado-esque, nicely poised between the yeasty and oxidative sides of Sherry, and less saline than the wine's origins as a Manzanilla suggested. Nutty and intense, dry but with notes of cinder toffee, it made a superb match for the cheese - and a jolly good one for fruitcake too. Mmm...

A lovely way to finish the evening. Refreshing and lemon-dominated (though without strict acidity), little hints of custardy sweetness, still quite youthful and lacking in toasty notes. I don't own this, but I'd probably wait a little longer for peak drinking.