Comte Armand Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Rouge 2014 75cl

Rich red fruit, strawberries and cherry, and then a little spice – I said sweet cinnamon, others said aniseed. The palate is wonderfully savoury, a chunk of the debated spice and then a great structured finish and a lingering cherry stone and plum skin finish.

The domaine, which is totally biodynamic and follows the lunar calendar, totals 9 hectares – 5 hectares of which are the magnificent 1er Cru monopole Clos des Epeneaux, responsible for the deepest, richest, most intensely concentrated and longest lived wines in Pommard. Their Volnay and Auxey-Duresses are all purity, finesse and elegance. Under the stewardship of the previous régisseur, Benjamin Leroux, some of the finest red wines in the Côte de Beaune were being crafted. This trend is continuing under the equally impressive Paul Zinetti, who joined the domaine in 2010.