Classic French Lunch

Very serious mature champagne, with oysters, a raw fish plate, then tomato soup and sweetcorn pannacotta.

• 1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon

  France, Champagne

  Wow this is a good showing for this. Still youthful, but gaining in complexity and gracefulness all the time. Much more classic - and more balanced - than the Cristal alongside.

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• 1990 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut

  France, Champagne

  Advanced but not over the hill. Extremely complex set of flavors - oyster shell seems quite prominent - with some oxidative notes, but still very vibrant.

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With game terrine.

• 1990 Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss Riesling Kastelberg Vendanges Tardives

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Some debate as to whether this was more or less oxidized or just pleasantly on the way (I thought the latter). Representative mature riesling - somewhere between petrol and candle wax - with a little peachy fruit, but not perhaps truly enticing.

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Gouges a slightly surprising winner here, and the only wine really at the right place in the maturity spectrum. With partridge, confit turnips and ceps.

• 1993 Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  Traditional, quite forceful but with lots of personality. Structured still but not at all overwhelming. Robust, earthy gaminess rather than the ethereal Chambolle version of those flavors. Excellent wine and fully ready to drink.

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• 1990 Domaine de L'Arlot Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de l'Arlot

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  Consistent with the previous bottle - ripe but slightly over the top.

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• 1999 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru

  This is certainly austere and reserved, but I think there is a lot of wine, in a slightly rustic way, to come from it. I wouldn't say it is fully closed, but nor is it showing a lot. Structure seems very well balanced, and only moderately intense, and there is a good whiff of turnipy pinot on the nose, but it is certainly in an in between stage between fruit and mature flavors. To hold, as are most all 99s - rare for me to open one and not think I've made a mistake.

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