This started the evening quite swimmingly. The nose itself was already charming with its sweet earthy funk. The palette is rich with fruit and minerals, yet soft and elegant at the same time.

This had darker fruit than the 96 Beaune Chouacheux, denser overall and seems to lack the charm of the former. The nose wasn't as expressive … perhaps need a few more years?

Wow. Take what I said about the Chouacheux and turn it up another notch. Lively perfumed nose leapt from the glass and for a while I was just smelling the wine. Petrichor (the smell of forest after a fresh rain) would be the perfect word to describe this. On the palette it was elegant yet intense, with interesting spices. I don't think I've felt this density for a wine so light in color ... probably the best pinot I've had.

This was nice, but a bit acidic on the finish and wasn't as smooth or refined as the previous wines. I have been spoiled by the previous wines.

Not as rich as the 99, but similar flavours and still satisfying.

Another very, very nice wine. But it didn't impress me as much as the Trapet did. Very smooth and regal, definitely a wine of great pedigree. Nice tart cherries on the finish but felt slightly insubstantial in comparison.

Super silky and rich merlot, intense and balanced, ... yet it just didn't really do it for me. On any other night a wine like this would usually have me savouring every sip, and I hope my right bank 05 bordeauxs would one day turn into something like this … but somehow I find myself wanting to go back to the quarter glass of Trapet I had left.