Absolutely superb - this was an ageless beauty. The nose was sheer perfume, with wafts of violets floating along ripe aromas of plums and dark berries, all swathed in robes of fragrant smoky spice, and just that little layer of funky, meaty, sous bois that weaved in and out of the sweeter tones. Wow. If anything, the palate was even more impressive. Soft, silky and absolutely seductive, this was depth without weight, intensity without effort; an absolute gem of transperancy and clarity. It showed pure, crystalline tones of dark cherries and berries infused with more of that beguiling warm spice picked up on the nose. As the wine warmed up, it became richer and more more-ish with each sip. Past the midpalate, dried fruit notes then mingled with smoky mineral, earth and herb as the wine slid into a long, mouth-filling finish. Great character, wonderful complexity, and still with a lovely sense of structure and freshness - this was a great wine drinking at absolute peak. Yum.

Better than the last bottle, this came across as really fine, polished Volnay. The nose was a lovely melange of ripe red cherries and strawberries with fragrant florals, sweet spice and drifts of earth and herb. Nice. The palate still had a little chew of fine but firm tannins and a nice burst of juicy, almost citrus 1996 acidity framing clean, clear flavours of cherries and red berries. A twist of herb and spice then lingered along with a nice seam of minerality into a long finish. Very nice indeed and starting to show well now, although I do feel that this will be even better in a couple of years' time.

Good wine, but this paled in comparison to the other two stars on the night. I did like this though. It had a rich nose of ripe dark berries, earth and spice chased by a little twist of green herb. On the palate, a flush of rich, ripe cherry and berry fruit was laced on the midpalate by a bit of spice and mineral. This was fresh, but it did not have the edge that some 1996 wines still show, with the depth of fruit masking the acidity of the vintage. On the finish, a little linger of earthiness drew away on a little chew of fine tannins. All in all, very pleasant, and starting to drink well. My only issue was the lack of a distinct Gevrey character on this - blind, it was just about impossible to place. Otherwise, very enjoyable.