The 2002 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru has an engaging, ripe and generous bouquet with brambly red fruit, undergrowth, potpourri and hints of cured meats in a sawdust-strewn Italian delicatessen. Wonderful! The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin. This feels generous, poised and with depth. It conveys the fullness one seeks in a Les Suchots as it fans out gloriously on the finish. Just a beautiful wine from Etienne Grivot. Tasted at Sarah Marsh MW’s 2002 Red Burgundy tasting.

Bright, saturated medium ruby. Ineffably scented nose hints at tangy raspberry, currant, flowers and stone. Densely packed but tightly wrapped and primary, with juicy, sharply delineated flavors of black fruits and minerals. A wine of superb intensity, grip and class. Finishes with outstanding persistence. Like the other top crus here, this is likely to benefit from six to eight years of cellaring.

The beguiling aromas of the 2002 Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots display huge quantities of spices and black fruits. This superb wine boasts an awesome silky texture, penetrating layers of sweet black cherries, and perfectly ripened tannin as well as a long, luxuriant finish. Projected maturity: 2005-2016. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400

Healthy garnet colour. Intense, direct, brooding nose. Sweet fruit on palate entry and then really rather vigorous and successful in a solid sort of register. Does the biz! But there's a tiny hint of dryness on the end. (JR)