Last week Burgundy-specialist merchants and journalists gathered to taste 29 White Burgundies from the 2010 vintage, an experience that was impressive and, dare I say, surprising. The element that was most encouraging being the absence of premoxed wines. 

Almost all were in good condition, except a slightly tired, bruised-fruit Pernot Belicard Puligny that may have just been a bad bottle and a Terre de Velle Puligny that was just about holding on. The regional wines, at the lowest end of the quality pyramid, were tiring a little but nothing more than you would have expected and still showed rather well considering.  Certain wines displayed  more unctuosity alcohol and exotic fruit, recalling the botrytis that affected some of the crop, these were fine and still very much alive now but did not necessarily offer excitement or suggest further ageing potential. 

A day of being immersed in the Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair wines is a most effective way of lifting the spirits and January gloom. 

Louis-Michel Comte Liger-Belair came to town recently to present his glorious array of 2015s, a full line-up which included his much-anticipated new cuvee, Clos de Vougeot.  If anyone is capable of raising Clos de Vougeot to more ethereal heights, then it is Louis-Michel. 

The flight started off with a monopole, Clos des Grandes Vignes Blanc. This is his best to date, which is saying something after the splendid 2014.  Huge qualitative strides have been made here, ones that transcend any kind of vintage variation.  Then on to the reds, a breath-taking range, among which there were many highlights.  La Romanee was all potential, texture and depth, a wine that combines complexity and power with refinement. This Grand Cru rarely shows off until at least 8-10 years of bottle age, but always carries a sense of greatness. The rest of the wines were impressive for their divine textures and hall-mark Comte Liger-Belair elegance, a perfectly-judged counter-weight to the lushness of the vintage.