Unfurling in the glass with youthfully reserved aromas of red and black berries, raw cocoa, sweet soil tones and subtle spices, the 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe Aux Moines is medium to full-bodied, bright and lively, with powdery tannins, a tightly knit core and good balancing acids. This is an elegant, rather reticent middleweight in a vintage with a propensity to produce rather large-scaled wines, and I expect it to evolve with grace.

Barrel sample. Mid cherry red. Sweet cherry fruit with a touch of oak spice and sweetness. Very red-fruited for Gevrey. Elegant and darker on the palate but something a touch floral, perhaps peony? Beauty and restraint. Long, too. Hard to suggest how soon you might approach this – the tannins are so fine but it has a long life ahead. (JH)