The 2022 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru on this encounter was so pure and suave that one might have mistaken it for the Clos Saint-Denis. Offering up aromas of raspberries, cherries, sweet spices, orange zest and peony, it's full-bodied, supple and seamless, with a deep core of fruit, sweet, powdery tannins and a long, sapid finish. There is more underlying muscle and tannin here, however, and I would be surprised to see that assert itself a little more obviously in bottle.

The 2022 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a little more intensity on the nose than the Clos Saint-Denis: principally black fruit laced with hints of licorice and clove and veins of blueberry and cassis. The aromatics expand with aeration, gaining vigor all the time. The medium-bodied palate has grippy tannins and quite a bold structure but may not have the precision of the very best that I have encountered. Very saline on the aftertaste - this will require time to shave its edges in bottle.

Cask sample. Mid ruby. Lovely nose – flowers, ripe red and black berries (cherries, cassis) with some earth and undergrowth for depth. Bright red and black cherries on the palate, showing remarkable balance in the almost invisible acidity and tannins – they are both there but so discreet. Restrained and noble, with an unctuous depth and texture. Top class. (MH)