One of the paler wines in the range. The aroma took me aback: it was almost Bordeaux-like. It was also explosive, exciting and immediate in a way which none of the other wines in the DRC range had been: fresh-squeezed fruits, full of woodland sap, tightly bunched, dense and masterful. (Romanée-Conti was the first of the vineyards to be picked, and Aubert de Villaine was struck by how well the vineyard seemed to cope with the heat, despite the evident shallowness of its soils.)

In the mouth, that same almost rapacious energy and presence is palpable, and the fruits are astonishingly bright and fresh for the vintage, lent drama by vibrant acidity. The ample tannins are chamois-textured; there is a graceful, melting finish in which the warmth of the season finally asserts itself, casting a smoky glow over what has gone before.