2018 Comte Armand Auxey Rouge Premier Cru

Just racked. Some of the vines are younger here and yielded generously. The colour is nonetheless a dense black purple. The bouquet is less immediately stunning than that of the village Auxey. On the other hand there is more texture of rich dark fruit throughout. 88-91 points

The 2018 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru is a blend of two parcels, Les Bréterins (limestone soils) and, further down in the village, Les Duresses (deep clayey soils). This has a very cohesive bouquet of raspberry preserve, cranberry and pressed rose petal aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, a superb line of acidity and impressive structure on the finish. This is clearly a step up from the 2017 Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru and comes recommended. 90-92 points

Bright crimson. Racy and mouth-filling. This tastes as though it was made from pretty happy, possibly old, vines. Quite emphatic fruit and tannin. No hurry whatsoever to drink this! Good Value. 16.5+ points