Mid to light crimson, some cherries on the nose plus something a little more animal. Plenty of fruit energy and good acidity, cleaner on the palate with rather an attractive aftertaste without quite showing the full weight of Richebourg. A deceptively long finish. Cleans up nicely to make a very attractive wine for the medium term. Drink from 2024-2032. Tasted Jan 2024.

An even mid red with a fine depth of strawberry and raspberry fruit, not too much sign of new oak, almost a discreet Richebourg. Now cherries on the palate, a little more concentration than the Grivot wine but broadly comparable, and the purer wine of the pair. Drink from 2024-2034. Tasted Jan 2024.

A brighter deep crimson, with a glorious bouquet, much cleaner than the 2017 and with very evident depth. A surge of dark cherry flavour on the palate, such an energy to the fruit backed up by good acidity as well. The tannins are entirely ripe and the aftertaste is highly impressive. Drink from 2025-2040. Tasted Jan 2024.

Another bright ruby-crimson colour, while the nose is clearly full of fruit but perhaps a little more backward than Grivot’s wine: it is certainly evident that there is plenty in reserve. The bouquet grows and grows, the hedonistic side of roses rather than elegant petals. Only a tenth of this Richebourg iceberg is showing above the surface, one feels, while the seamless finish confirms the exceptional quality. Drink from 2028-2045. Tasted Jan 2024.

No deeper in colour than the others, while the bouquet shows the stems in advanced format, the green side of white pepper, a little similar to a 1993 enjoyed the previous evening though here the vigour of the pinot fruit shows through. Very much showing the elegance. Amazingly complex on the palate with darker fruit, a suggestion of chocolate without being either too warm or clumsy, and a fascinating cornucopia of flavours to finish. The style is as much Domaine de la Romanée-Conti as Richebourg, thus arguably less classic than Méo but absolutely gorgeous and perhaps the longest to date. Drink from 2028-2045. Tasted Jan 2024.

A flamboyant fresh crimson, showing no signs of ageing. The bouquet suggests delicacy, on the lighter side for Richebourg, but all the class is there. Medium depth, attractive balance, a pleasing lighter style of wine, without the weight and persistence of the top vintages, but beautifully crafted in the style of the year. Drink from 2023-2033. Tasted Jan 2024.

The colour is perhaps starting to mature slightly, while the bouquet is light, pleasingly savoury with some floral qualities to the fruit. The wine does not storm out of its teacup, and at first is surprisingly savoury, even vegetal, with middling acidity. Between two stools at the moment. Later on, the wine threw off this slight rusticity and became a much more typical silky and perfumed 2010. Drink from 2024-2035. Tasted Jan 2024.

the 2009 Grivot Richebourg has notably more depth of colour than the 2010, and is more backward on the nose. Tougher on the palate too, with definite tannins, the fruit not quite persevering at first through to the back of the palate. Once again, this proved to be more the initial surliness of a Grivot wine rather than the end result. The fruit soon filled out the middle of the palate and while this wine will be less attractive than the 2010 for the near to medium term future, it will repay keeping. Drink from 2029-2040. Tasted Jan 2024.

A full deep crimson, at least as strong as the younger vintages. Maybe the oak shows more too. Something reductive remains on the nose. Still a thick texture, strong tannins, good acidity. Let us see how this develops in the glass. And develop it did, to come close to stealing the show – it was a favourite for several participants at the table. Drink from 2030-2045. Tasted Jan 2024.

A beautiful crimson ruby with a rush of quality succulent fruit. Excellent density, the acidity just a fraction more prominent than the tannins, the whole managing to be quite elegant in the fruit department, despite 1999 falling in a slightly awkward, between two stools, period chez Grivot. Fine structure behind. Whereas the bottle two nights earlier had started awkwardly and then grew in the glass, tonight the wine was much more accessible from the start, though contrariwise, it did not develop further later. Drink from 2020-2035. Tasted Jan 2024.

Still a fine mid red though perhaps showing more evolution than the other two, which can be ascribed to the whole bunch vinification style. An utterly captivating bouquet, the fruit discreet the floral qualities super abundant. So much detail, a light red fruit fragrance, a little bit of orange zest, no more than a whisper of white pepper. A complete and enthralling Richebourg. Drink from 2020-2040. Tasted Jan 2024.

Still a fresh colour and bouquet, as if this vintage has barely evolved at all. In a recent 1999 vintage tasting the Meo wines showed very well, as is the case again tonight. Dense, savoury red fruit, a good acid and tannin balance, there is still much more in this wine to discover. A sign of the wine’s undoubted quality is the wonderful class and texture of the fruit in the aftertaste. Drink from 2029-2039. Tasted Jan 2024.