Comte Senard Corton-Clos du Roi

Burgundy dinner with friends. 2006 Bertagna Clos St Denis (93) 2006 Domaine Comte Senard Corton Clos du Roi (92) 2012 Domaine Ponsot Morey Saint Denis cuveé des grives (91) All were good, but the Bertagna was slightly better. All three of them really need 3-5 more years.

This still shows some oak-caramel and many floral tones. a heavy feeling wine with not quite enough concentration for a GC. It will go several more years.

Medium red, hint of mahogany. Leather, wood, dark fruit, mature nose. There is certainly sweetness to the fruit, pleasant, adequate concentration. Silky.

Deep garnet. Red berry, red and black stone fruit, violets, and a rustic, earthy nose. Strawberry, red plum, and raspberry with a smooth, big attack and a moderately long finish. No funk. Drinking wonderfully and an astounding qpr.

This has dark fruit and a little wood in the nose. the palate is soft, approachable and tasty of mature fruit and forest, albeit lacking some concentration.

(Blind tasting) Full, sligthly robust nose with dark cherries, plums, forest floor, fir cone. Some iron minerality. Quite rich, but not the greatest depth. Medium-fullish, slightly four-square palate. Forest, cedar, fir cone. Maturing notes of spice, tobacco and meat stock. Tasty, but clearly a bit robust. Very Corton and still fresh. Good now.

Med red. Red fruit, some herb. Good depth of flavour. Richness of texture hints at residual sugar. Starting to develop some tertiary complexity. It is ready to go, structure wise

Wine is maturing as per vintage expectations. Light but complex. Shortish.

After winning a life-and-death struggle with the synthetic cork, I decanted the wine. Med red. Smells of stem or pips and pinot fruit. Floral and pretty red fruit, a little hollow. Tannin is light but bitter. Prettiness continues on the finish.

Medium red. This glistens and has texture when poured. Nose is restrained, mature strawberry fruit licorice and oak and smoke. Meaty in texture and flavour - it's vegan meat! This has sucrosity, too. Quite drinkable today although I will admit disappointment. Synthetic 3 piece cork.

Blind taste. Cool climate character. Apart from the ordinary nose of humid fresh forest and raspberry, it's quite gamey and herbal. Not much fruitiness on palate and surrounded by strong herbal aroma. Firm body but the tannin was a little rough.

Eight Burgundies at a Confrerie wine tasting at the French Embassy (Wellington, New Zealand) : Deep red but lighter than the Bonnes Mares. Lovely, lifted nose, immediately a step up from the 1ers. Spicy red berry fruit - plums, cherries, red currants - warm earth, tobacco. On palate, good, sweet fruit with earthy, spicy flavours and an interesting animale, feral element. Real clarity and freshness with good, bright acids. Grand Cru depth, concentration, power and length, finishes on minerality. Approachable …

Med red. Interesting light/tight nose shows licorice and sour cherry. Med to light concentration, med weight, lively cherry fruit with some oak on nose and palate. Short finish. Adequate and smooth tannin, but the texture is one of glycerine sweetness. Not exciting nor promising for the appellation. Multi piece synthetic cork

"Clos" dinner chez Rasoul (Vancouver, BC) : This was drinking nicely in a youthful sort of way. Nice big nose with lots of dark red pinot fruit and some meaty and gravelly aromas as well. The youthfulness of the nose carries onto the palate with loads of fruit intensity, noticeable but not offensive alcohol and solid acidity and tannins. Fairly weighty in the mouth with a slightly round texture and a long minerally finish. It’s drinking okay now and was …