The 2017 Corton Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with aromas of cassis, wild berries, rich forest floor and wood smoke. On the palate, it's full-bodied, dense and powerful, with chewy structuring tannins, impressive depth at the core and a long, expansive finish. This should be long-lived, and it's the cuvée Rapet matured in barrel the longest. From Les Meix and Les Chaumes, lieux-dits below Pougets and just above the village of Aloxe, this is always the more muscular of Rapet's two grand cru reds.

The 2017 Corton Grand Cru has a tightly wound bouquet that needs coaxing from the glass, gradually unfurling to reveal black fruit tinged with cedar and tobacco – dare I say, almost like a light Médoc. The pure, harmonious palate is well balanced, delivering supple tannin, well-judged acidity and a caressing black and red cherry finish. What a pretty Corton! (Drink between 2020-2036)

Here too there is just a whiff of barnyard character to the red and dark berry fruit-suffused nose where additional notes of earth and game are present. There is considerably more volume and muscle as well as a bit more concentration to the muscular flavors that deliver fine depth and persistence on the imposingly structured finish. If the barnyard element does not become more pronounced over time this will very like merit a higher score but it's hard to recommend a wine when I can't reasonably predict, structure aside, how successfully it will age. (Drink starting 2035)