So, the final instalment of my write up of Tuesday’s lunch wines. The great thing about sharing a bottle among four is that you get to drink a decent quantity, and you have time to consider your opinion. Great wines often do change in the glass. Also, as tasters, we change with time – even over 20 minutes or so, the way we approach the glass, and the way we interrogate the wine will change. Presentation order artefacts will be ironed out. And we’ll have been eating, with the flavours of food bringing out different aspects of the wine. And to begin looking at the wine blind helps too: it removes some prejudice.

Francois Cotat La Grande Cote 1996 Sancerre, France
This is atypical for Sancerre in that it’s very ripe and has a hint of sweetness (although it is still just 12.5% alcohol), yet it was immediately spotted as a Sauvignon Blanc, and because we know who bought it, and its unusual characters, it was spotted as a Cotat. Sweet, exotic nose of grapefruit, some boiled sweets, and a hint of greenness. Lively in the mouth with pretty, rounded fruit that’s quite exotic, showing a hint of apricot. Delightful, and quite remarkable. 95/100

Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru 1998 Burgundy, France
Spicy, lively and quite mineral with some hints of smoke and just a trace of animal wildness. Lively red fruit, with focused cherry and plums, as well as notes of mint and medicine in the background. Some iodine character. It has some age, but it also has freshness. Spicy, grippy and lively. 94/100

Dujac Clos St Denis Grand Cru 2001 Burgundy, France
Smooth, ripe, pure and quite textured. Sweet, lively cherry fruit as well as some fresh raspberries, and a bit of meat. Some savouriness and meatiness here: it’s quite tight, with a touch of bitterness still on the finish. A structured wine that needs more time. 93/100