Roederer Brut 1989: A deep and rich golden hue suggesting considerable maturity, with a very sparse, fine bead. This is matched by a very mature, expressive, showy bouquet, showing aromas of toffee, walnut and roasted coffee. Fine palate, with a slightly sharp mousse, and still displaying very correct, fresh acidity. A big, rounded style with nuances of honey caramel, but maintaining a fresh presence on the palate through to the finish. This is very good indeed. Drink now, but will hold for another five years at least. 18/20

Ruinart Cuvée Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 1990: A pale hue, with just a hint of gold, and a gentle bead. Simply lovely nose, showing maturity married with great finesse; evocative and expressive, with cinder toffee and caramel biscuit richness. Fine, elegant presence on the palate, quite refined, broad, mature Chardonnay character, and a creamy mousse. Beautiful, lingering finish. Absolutely top quality here, and still showing elements of youth, with potential for another five, maybe ten, years of development. 19+/20

Moët et Chandon Cuvée Dom Perignon 1995: Quite a pale hue, with a sparse bead. The nose takes half an hour or so to really open out, revealing smoky, honey-edged brioche, with a little creamed-mushroom character. Wonderfully elegant, and showing some appreciable development since my last tasting. Quite a fine, precise palate, showing lemon-edged white citrus fruits, with a tinge of honey brioche character, and very firm acidity. Nuances of orange blossom and jasmine provide emerging complexity, buoyed along by a creamy mousse. Great persistence. This is lovely, but should excel in the cellar over the next decade. 18+/20

Josmeyer Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 1983: A pale, golden hue. Lime pickle and honey dominate the nose, with an exotic, mineral character, with nuances of vanilla pod, thyme and a little stone fruit. Full, structured, rounded, honeyed palate; this is showing impressive vigour and balance. Some petrol character, along with a limey citrus note. Broad, stylish, full of appeal, and finishing in a long, lingering fashion. This is delightful; it has such vitality that it will clearly continue to do well in the cellar. Excellent. 18.5+/20

Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fumé Silex 2001: A pale yellow-gold hue. Piercingly fresh nose, initially with a lime and lemon citrus character, before yielding more complex smoky, minerally stone fruit and thyme aromas. Lovely weight and presence, with a full, creamy style full of crystalline fruit, balanced by a vivacious lemon-mineral streak. Good length. A wine of considerable concentration and impact, but one that always maintains a fresh presence. I suspect it would develop nicely in the cellar. But it comes at a (considerable) price, and is it really worth the money? Quite simply, no. But it does win a special award for being the most weighty bottle of Christmas, with the deepest punt ever. 17+/20

Château Bellerive Quarts de Chaume 1985: From one of the top properties of the appellation, this wine has a rich, golden hue. Lovely nose; beeswax, candle wax, minerals and lime, perfused with notes of straw and crystalline fruits. There is moderate concentration on entry, an elegant and freshly balanced style, rather reserved at times, but nevertheless showing fine straw and wax character, leading up to a minerally finish which is very persistent. This is a fine, expansive wine, still carrying a very fine sweetness, which should do well in the cellar for a few years yet. No great rush to drink these up I think. 18.5/20

Château Bellerive Quarts de Chaume 1990: An intense, deep gold-amber hue here. A similarly intense nose, laden with chalky-cordite minerals, with some curranty fruit and classic Chenin straw. This wine exhibits great charisma. Beautiful palate, intertwining richness with balance; this is fresh and poised, but with an appealing, seductively sweet mouthfeel. Intense minerality, warm straw, purity and a fluid, seamless elegance that simply slips across the palate. Very fine. This should continue to gain depth and complexity, but is wonderful now. 19+/20

Domaine des Remizières Hermitage Blanc 1990: An appealing golden hue, and a nose that opens out in the glass to offer mature, honeyed, baked apple and sweet patisserie aromas, with a fresh style. Good presence on entry, with sweet baked fruit carried by a somewhat reserved texture. Showing a little bitter twang at the finish. Nicely persistent finish. A very good wine, which should be drunk up in the next few years to see it at its best I think. 17/20

Fontodi Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo 2001: This wine took about six hours to really open up in the decanter; deeply coloured, it has a vibrant nose of fresh black forest fruits with complex nuances of rubber, leather and spearmint. It offers a full, sweet amply filled palate, with fine seams of silky tannins in the background. Earthy depth and a lovely structure, with the finesse of reserved, leather-tinged black fruits. Very fine. Very youthful, but very informative to see how this impressive young Chianti is shaping up, and it coped well with roast goose and duckling. Leave for 3-5 years. 18+/20

Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1996: A deeply coloured wine, showing the changes of early maturity. A beautiful nose, exhibiting great concentration, with notes of crème de cassis and roasted coffee, perfumed with violets and exotic nuances of pickling spices. Quite voluptuous on entry, with a rich and creamy texture carrying some fine blackcurrant fruit. There is a good structure, beautifully enveloped, and superbly balanced. Seductive, and yet it has great precision. Good length. What a great wine; should go for another decade at least. 18.5+/20

Graham's Vintage Port 1970: A delightfully maturing mahogany hue. Roasted raspberry fruit on the nose, even a little blueberry can be coaxed out, but there are rich complexities that mark this out as mature Graham's; notes of tobacco, freshly rolled cigars, with caramel and chocolate seduction. On the palate it offers a full, sweet, creamy attack, maintaining a lovely broad, expansive texture through the midpalate. Beautifully poised, through to the finish which is lengthy. Still developing, although great now and immensely impressive for 35 years of age, but should see out another ten or twenty years with ease. 18.5+/20