"Rousseau is for drinking"

The theme - let's actually drink some of our few bottles of Rousseau!

Everyone voted for their top five reds at the end, with the fizz and sweetie excluded; the top three were way ahead in the group's collective ranking.

Crusty sourdough and butter

• 2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Although I wasn't thoroughly ravished, and don't normally love this house, I was definitely a fan of this wine. Some gentle lime and buttered toast on the nose, which broadened out to become incresingly mealy. Nicely evolved on the palate - more than I had expected, in fact - with a touch of vanilla, some salted caramel, and a soft fizzy finish reminiscent of lemonade. This mature, elegant wine was delightful start to the lunch.

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Veal tartare, truffle cream, Norfolk asparagus, pickled artichokes and grilled lavosh

• 2017 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Immediately charming, which is meant in the best of respects rather than as faint praise, and was characteristic of the whole flight - and (less overtly) the entire lunch. Beautifully aromatic with soft strawberry, then fuller on the palate (although still light on its feet), with a bitter edge and a long, slightly savoury blueberry-toned finish. So pleasant - a really encouraging start. Ended up being my #5 red today.

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• 2017 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  My wine. Much earthier than the LSJ for the first 10-15 minutes, as well as tighter and less powerful. It was fairly oaky on the nose at that stage, too. The wine then really revved up, the nose revealing beautiful bright fruit and some flowers and at the same time the slightly tough, bitter edge to the palate melted away to reveal a much sexier wine, with gorgeous red fruit and lovely acidity. My #4 of the lunch.

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• 2017 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Immediately apparent that this had that bit more heft and stature than the two 1ers, although the shared vintage and producer signature was even more strikingly obvious. Wafts of airy red fruit on the nose, which became more complex in the glass and revealed layers of icing sugar, panacotta, strawberry coulis and rose - one of the best bouquets I've smelled in a while. Very clean on the palate, silky smooth and already approachable, but definite power and persistence too; you could absolutely keep this wine for years, but I find it hard to imagine it giving more pleasure if you did. My favourite wine today, and the group's joint #2.

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Chicken raviolo, white onion veloute, fresh peas, pancetta

• 2007 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin 95 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Today's other Charmes was also really popular around the table. So much earthier and more evolved, as though it came from a very different era, although it did become increasingly suave and crowd-pleasing in the glass. A lovely green streak in a Loire Cab Franc register made it a delight with the food. Again, I think we caught this at a brilliant point in its evolution, and I'd drink any others within five years. So good! My #2 today, and the group's joint #2 too.

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• 2005 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Mazy-Chambertin 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

  One of the most obviously shut-down wines I've tried for the first 30 minutes or so, like watching a beautiful landscape through frosted glass; the nose in particular was clearly sound, but gave barely anything away. Happily it did loosen up, with icing sugar on the increasingly pretty, fruity nose and surprising elegance and crisp acidity on the palate. Overall, this felt much more grown-up than the first four reds, and the only one a way off peak. Score 93 for the final sips and sniffs.

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Devonshire duck breast, oxtail and bacon fondant, sprouting broccoli, pickled walnut emulsion and red wine jus

• 1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  This smelled so good from the off, with a ravishing, well-integrated savoury nose. Crisp acidity and deep, almost beetrooty fruit dominated the midpalate, which also had a gamey side and finished long but slightly thin, with bitter orange. Refreshing and charismatic - in a great place, and my #3 (but the group's WOTL).

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• 1995 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Browner in colour, and seemed to have a touch of coffee on the nose too. Well-evolved, transparent and attractive, with a pleasing grip too, but increasingly overshadowed by the stellar 1996, which held up in the glass whilst the 1995 thinned a little and started to fall off. Score 92 for the end of the glass, maybe 93 for the beginning.

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• 1986 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Absolutely seemed corked at first, so musty was the nose, but patience was rewarded when that cleaned up to reveal - well, a fully mature, delicate, faded Pinot Noir. Notes of church pew and 'old wine' fruit; it tasted good and was nice to drink, but I couldn't quite get past the initial odour.

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Apricot souffle with vanilla ice cream and crushed amaretti

• 1990 Château d'Yquem 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Based on my scores, this keeps getting better and better! Deep and creamy yet also seamless and elegant, with enough vanilla biscuit and toffee apple to make a delicious dessert wine, and a sense of easy poise that made it simply great to drink as well. Well-evolved in a soft, honeyed register, and without the aggressive marmalade or cloying spice often found on Sauternes of this age; if I were to be picky, I might observe that it was almost *too* well-balanced!

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We did so well today, the wines living up to their gorgeous red-fruited potential (although I wouldn't pay secondary market prices for them) and the Champagne and Sauternes showing really nicely too.

The reds had a definite signature of red fruit, stylish well-integrated oak (on the younger wines), and intensity without particular weight or breadth, and the 2007 and 1996 also contributed some delicious evolved red Burgundy signature notes. Delicious, and absolutely 'digeste' too: Rousseau *is* for drinking!