From 3L. Wow, so much ripe and powerful and dense orchard fruit. No question there is also plenty of structure and energy as well.

From 750 ml bottle, just shortly after tasted from 3L. This was so similar in terms of fruit and flavor profile, just less fresh and less energetic vs the larger format.

From 3L. Mature red berry and baked apple. Very mature. Past its peak.

Plenty of dried apricot and childish sweetness, with good density, but lacking in the complexity of another (better) bottle from last year.

Small glass, brief note. Apple and lemon with good acidity and brightness through long finish. Moderate weight.

Small glass, brief note. Lots of apple and lemon curd. Good+ weight and balance. Nicely accessible and charming without the "wow" I find DP has in best vintages. Consistent with prior bottles.

Loose cork came out without a sound. No surprise this was muted and tired, a shadow of previous bottles, which I tremendously enjoyed.

Small glass, brief note. Muscular and big, but fully+ mature and past its peak.

Candied orange peel with some bitter pith and dried apricot. Sweetness and acidity in good combination. Age has this coming across more demi-sec than Moelleux. Very musty start that some thought corked (I wondered as well) but this cleaned up nicely with air, in fact got richer and weightier.

Small glass, brief note. Rich fruit aromas and flavors with toasted rye bread. Lots of structure and maturing fruit with good breadth. Very good now, this is starting to move into that more bready, oxidative stage of its life.

Small glass, brief note. Apple and pear with moderate ripeness, good+ concentration and length.

Small glass, brief note. Not a powerhouse, but very elegant and harmonious. Perfect juxtaposition of bready, oxidative and orchard fruit and floral characteristics. One of the best bottles of this wine I can recall.

Small glass from magnum, brief note. Wow, what a surprise, nobody would have ever guessed 50+ yo. Apple, apple pie and some caramel apple. Still nicely fresh with enough brightness to be very interesting, even if just moderately complex.

Red, green and yellow apple and Bosc pear with so much floral elegance. Wonderful length, balance and brightness.

So sad, slightly corked, with very good underlying fruit in the background.

Small glass, brief note. Fun and simple red cherry and berry with moderate weight and length.

Small glass, brief note. Complex aromas of black plum and sweet spice. Much less interesting on palate, with slightly coarse, notes.

Small glass, brief note. Ripe black cherry, currant and cassis. Very good density and length. Both fleshy and still nicely fresh.

Small glass, brief note. Black cherry with savory spice. Good+ weight and length. Still firm and tannic, but the fruit is rich and accessible.

Small glass from magnum, brief note. More black than red fruits with faint spice and earth notes. Slightly firm middle to finish, this needs a few more years in the cellar. Didn't yet seem typically Volnay to me.

Small glass, brief note. Plenty of apple with some bread notes. Certainly in its peak drinking window, probably best to enjoy over the next few years. Very good now. Good+ textures and depth, but not the most complex vintage for this wine.

Small glass, brief note. Decanted for over an hour before tasting. Still slightly oaky and tannic, but there is so much powerful fruit with intense concentration and spice. Needs a decade in the cellar to show its full potential, but this is a beauty. Better potential than the '99 in the next glass, even if that wine is more enjoyable tonight.

Small glass, brief note. Beef carpaccio with cracked black pepper and espresso. Very good depth and length. Getting close to its peak drinking window. More pleasure tonight vs the '04 in the next glass, but not quite the same long-term potential.

Great liqueur, showcasing ripe and dried apricot character with sweetness alongside a faint bitter hint. So enjoyable without any heat.