Very interesting to taste Andre Clouet's Grande Reserve NV against his Silver Brut NV. These are essentially the same wine (although some claim the latter may be a special selection) but the Silver Brut is zero dosage whereas the Grande Reserve has a conventional dose of sugar. The result on the palate is that the sugar, like seasoning, brings forward the flavours a little and contributes to the perfume, making it the easier and superficially more fruity wine. On the other hand, I like the stern Silver Brut and while both are good drinking now I feel that this is really the wine that will impress after a couple of years in bottle.

After that, tasting J-M Boillot's 99 Puligny Garenne made me wonder again if his style hasn't become more crowd-pleasing and undemanding compared to the fine, taught wine he produced until about 1994.

Of four 2001 red Burgundies the star was very much Fourrier's Cherbaudes (a Dujac wine that I hoped would give it a run for its money was slightly faulty). A 95 vintage Madeira from Barbeito was delicious if lacking the searing intensity of a real old wine and Krohn's 1960 Colheita was a pleasant end to the meal.

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