The 2012 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a primal bouquet that opens up with encouragement, but only slightly, with mulberry and raspberry fruit, touches of briary and damp moss. The palate is underpinned by very fine tannins. This is a feminine, harmonious and sensual Clos de la Roche prioritising elegance over power. There is a long tail on the finish that is velvety smooth and caressing. This is very seductive and classy. (NM)

A pungently earthy nose also offers supporting aromas of gentle wood, spice and both red and dark fruit components. There is excellent richness and body to the large-scaled, mineral-inflected and openly powerful flavors that possess plenty of tannin-buffering dry extract before terminating in a striking long finish. This is a robust and very serious effort that possesses excellent cellaring potential and note well that it will need it as this is presently a bruiser.

The 2012 Jadot Clos de la Roche is another very good bottle in the making, with a deep and complex nose of red and black cherries, dark chocolate woodsmoke, venison, a good base of soil tones and a stylish base of new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with a good core and soil signature, firm, ripe tannins and fine balance and grip on the long, ripely tannic and chewy finish. This is not quite as vibrant as the very best wines in the cellars this year, but it has admirable depth and lovely soil drive on the backend.