François Pinon Vouvray Brut NV: Purchased Summer 2008. A pale, pale golden wine. The nose is more suggestive of yeasty richness than I recall from previously, with notes of honey, lemon, bread-crust and nut all intertwined. Indeed, reviewing my note from July, this has really developed in bottle in the last six or so months. Full, creamy, nicely rounded but also well defined and fresh, with very good acidity and a lively mousse, this has a really good character on the palate. Lots of developed flavours coming through here now, lovely bready, nutty, slightly caramelly flavours, the sort of rich Maillard-reaction flavours that come from seared meat. Really delicious and a higher score for sure. 17+/20

Von Buhl Spätburgunder Rosé 2006: A fabulous if rather pale onion skin hue in the bottle, which is clear glass, and once in the glass it displays a bone-white foam. The bead is moderate to fat, foamy and youthful, and the nose shows the aromas of cream over red fruits, with a notes of redcurrant leaf. On the palate it is firmly acidic, with strawberry fruit and a sharp mousse. There is a nice vinosity underneath the acidity, and a good if rather sharp finish. My main trouble with it is that it too strongly suggests under-ripe fruit to my palate. Nevertheless it is sappy and mouth-watering, lean and moderately rather than richly concentrated, and it makes a pleasing aperitif which would be best served well chilled in a warm summer garden rather than in the depths of winter I think. 15/20

Ridgeview Merret Fitzrovia 2005: This English sparkling wine from leading estate Ridgeview has a lovely, deep salmon-pink hue in the glass. On the nose there are notes of cream, soapstone and strawberry, all backed up by a lifted, minerally quality. The palate is well rounded, creamy, in fact rather full, and with a youthful mousse. There are flavours of strawberry, leafy fruit, nettles and pepper, but underneath it all there is a good texture, rounded, rather broad and attractively composed. Very firm acidity too. This has great style, and a big, attention-grabbing, peppery-acidic finish. Very good. 16.5+/20

Drappier Carte d'Or Brut NV: Purchased Autumn 2008. A rich colour here, and a fairly fine and plentiful bead. This particular cuvée is 85% Pinot Noir, and that certainly shows on the nose, which starts off with the aromas of autumnal, red-skinned dessert apples, followed up by even warmer tones of cashew nuts, freshly baked bread and biscuits. The palate is fleshy and round, and has that typical Pinot character, a meaty depth to the texture and flavours of nutty apples. There is some good acidity to balance out this rich character, showing fairly firmly on the finish, and with a soft and gentle, creamy mousse. Really attractive and individual drinking here. 17+/20

Du Mont-Hauban Cuvée Prestige Blanc de Blancs NV: This 100% Chardonnay cuvée is the same that I tasted a few months ago, and it is showing very consistently today. There is still a huge foaming bead, and aromas of fresh lemon, polished oak and cashew nut, as I noted previously. And on the palate it has a very crisp and upright nature, with a firm but very pleasing mousse, and plenty of acidity in the middle. What I didn't notice last time was a little note of candied fruit at the finish, and a slightly more creamy, polished finish with a little depth too, which I really like; these characteristics may represent serving temperature (a little less cool this time) more than anything else. This is very good indeed. 16.5+/20 (Current release from Champers)

Pol Roger Brut 1998: This wine has a shimmering lemon-gold hue, and a plentiful and quite fine bead. there follows a nose that is at first quite rich, showing aromas of roasted honey, caramel and brazil nuts, but with a little time it seems finer and lifted, with more lemony fruit. Quite a rich and open style on the palate too, although it starts off rather awkward and full-on. But with a little time it shows a very composed nature, elegant and bright, although with a creamy, caramel-tinged finish. It has a rather backwards feel to it at the end, but there is plenty of pleasure here all the same, and surely some potential for the cellar yet. Very good indeed. 17.5+/20

Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle "La Cuvée" NV: Purchased Summer 2003. Once in the glass this wine displayed a mid-golden hue, and a plentiful bead of small-moderate sized bubbles. The nose is rich, with aromas of roasted fruits, overlaid with caramel and toffee. It shows some evolution compared to my previous tasting five years ago when, just released, it was really very tight. The palate is rich and creamy, evolving nicely, with a fresh undercurrent of acidity and a bright, prickly mousse. It has a broad midpalate, mouth-filling, firm and flavoursome rather than ethereal. In fact although delicious it has a slightly meaty feel, but a well structured and bright finish. Whereas it has clearly moved on from its position five years ago, I am certain that this wine has much more potential yet, and I think a look in another five years might be warranted. And, sadly, looking at the price of current releases, that might just be my last look at Grand Siècle. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 17.5+/20

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: This was purchased in Autumn 2003, so has had five years of bottle age in my cellar since release. The cork, solid and straight, displays this. A mid to pale golden hue in the glass, and a plentiful bead, with dozens of streams of tightly compacted, tiny bubbles. On the nose it seems quite quietly elegant, mostly subtle white fruits with a little nut and cream, and a smoky, mineral gorgeousness. On the palate is where I find the typical Krug richness and depth, with a meaty-creamy quality to the palate, although it remains elegantly fresh, with finely balanced acidity and a broad, walnutty character from start to finish. Incredibly well defined and lifted at the finish, like a spring morning, providing a delightful counterpoint to the richer midpalate. Very fine indeed. There seems to be no worry about leaving bottles of the 'multi-vintage' cuvée in the cellar five years at least. 18.5/20

Domaine de Vauroux Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2001: It is five years at least since I opened my first of these half bottles, and I remember it well. It was the evening before my departure to the Loire in the summer of 2003, and I was hugely impressed by the rocky minerality this wine possessed. Now at seven years of age the wine displays the same admirable qualities, with rock dust galore on the nose, alongside cinder-toffee fruit, but it is the stony character that predominates by far. Moderately rich as a consequence of development I think, with good acidity beneath, a punchy-peppery impact with plenty of rocky, tingly vibrancy towards the end of the palate, this is a fabulous and good value wine. It reminds me why I first fell in love with Chablis, all those years ago, and that is saying something. 17/20

Domaine Colin-Deleger Meursault 1997: The last of the bottles from a case of this I bought at a bargain price, but really quite mature and in need of drinking up. Nevertheless, these bottles have performed well, have given some lovely drinking experiences, and have shown none of the oxidation problems that have beleaguered Burgundy in recent years. This has a rich, golden hue now, and a nose of honey, walnut and polished wood. A nice weight on the palate, just relaxing into a slightly more fleshy midpalate, but whereas this part displays a lovely woody-nutty character, it is incredibly dry at the finish and, ergo, the wine is beginning to dry out. Stylistically, firm and still giving pleasure even at this stage. Not a long finish though. Good, but I can't quite bring myself to dish out the same score as previous. Drink up, soon, if you have any. 16.5/20

Tollot-Beaut Chorey-lès-Beaune Piece du Chapitre 2003: A dark wine, still plenty of pigment here. On the nose we have the aroma of 2003 rather than anything else; a little baked cherry, with a warm and meat-stocky, furry edge, with a little spirit out on the edge as well. But give it some time in the decanter, and it shows a better definition, a more smoky-beetroot element, and a more stony edge to the fruit that I enjoy. A rich and rather lumpy palate to start, full and textured, but with fairly fresh if not overly bright acidity, which is much more apparent than last time. There is a lot of structure in the finish. Plums, cherries and more, with a firm, full, powerful presence overall. Although it still speaks of the vintage, it has a hearty charm that I admire, and good potential for future development I think. I hope my more pricy wines from this vintage perform as well as this. A higher score, which may yet get a little higher. This isn't really ready yet. 15.5+/20

Faurie Hermitage 2000: Just a brief note on this wine. It has a good colour, with fresh fruit aromas dominating on the nose, especially plums, with a smoky twist. The palate seems beautifully composed, very fresh in character, showing fruit first, and then a more savoury midpalate. Towards the finish where the structure of tannins and acidity show fairly plainly there is a little bitter twist which I find attractive. Overall this has a lovely, savoury, mouth-filling, well-balanced character, and it has fine potential for the future I think. 17.5+/20

Chateau Chasse-Spleen (Moulis) 1989: This wine has a dark and maturing hue, and on the nose a pleasingly mature character, with violets, sweet and roasted fruits, all presented in quite a pure, lifted, perfumed and minerally fashion. There is a nice texture apparent on entry, with some really very good flesh and richness in the midpalate. There is still a nice backbone of tannins, which also come out at the edge of the wine, but overall this is a very well integrated mouthful with smoothly polished corners. There is good substance right to the finish, and little nuances of tobacco alongside the fruit. Overall I am impressed, and perhaps more importantly although fully mature there is no urgent need to drink up. That's good - I have the best part of a case to drink yet. 17.5+/20

Lustau Almacenista Palo Cortado 1/50 Vides NV: This bottle comes from a very different source than my last one, and I am uncertain as to how long it has been cellared before opening - it has been in my possession at least a year. It certainly seems very different, starting with the colour, which has a toasty-brown-orange hue. The nose seems rather volatile, but underneath that baked earth characteristic there are aromas of mint, brazil nut and dark chocolate. The palate is firm, yet elegant, quite broad, cool and composed, although with a more aggressive midpalate which reveals a little hot and raspy spirit. What it certainly possesses is length, and an attractive one too. A nice weight at the finish as well. Overall a very good wine despite the initial volatility, but not quite the finesse of the best palo cortados which - from my limited experience - can be superb. 16.5/20

Taylor's Vintage Port 1975: Today the wine has a good colour in the glass, still showing a healthy red pigment although with a strong tawny element and not with a huge depth or opacity. The nose is quite mature, a touch spirity, with some gentle, stony, gritty red fruits. On the palate there is an immediately apparent sweetness which persists through to the finish, with a good substance, backbone of spirit and certainly some punch. In all honesty I suppose it wears its structure rather plainly, showing its firm grip without the softening features of fruit or texture that we can find in greater wines. Nevertheless, this certainly has some quality and it is quite sufficient for provoking reflection on a cold December's evening between Christmas and New Year, although I don't think I will be looking to add any more to the cellar. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 16.5/20