Biodynamic. Together with its sister-in-arms Cuvée Edmond, Dix-Neuf is the antithesis of modern, ‘textbook’ Sancerre. This jaw-dropping Sancerre is drawn from the oldest vines in the Moussière vineyard (approximately 100 years of age), cropped at Grand Cru Burgundy-level yields (in fact the lower end of this range). The wine was fermented and raised in 2,000-litre, tronconique wooden tanks for 12 months before a spell in steel on lees. Only 500 cases per year get to see the light of day.

This rare bottling comes from just 0.40 hectares of 70-year-old vines in the Comtesse lieu-dit at the chalky epicentre of Les Monts-Damnés. For hundreds of years or more, this vineyard has been considered by locals to be the finest single terroir of Chavignol. In his Le Vignoble de Chavignol, Thibaut Boulay reminds us that at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1878, Comtesse was already considered a true star of the Sancerrois, its wines served on the most renowned tables of northern France. As another marker of its historical reverence, the Comtesse parcel was only grafted after 1945; before that, it remained the last ungrafted white vineyard in France, as La Romanée-Conti was for red grapes. The soil composition is pure Kimmeridgian limestone and consists of a miserly 30- to 40-centimetre layer of topsoil over solid limestone bedrock. This brings intense minerality and warmth as the rocky soil absorbs the sun’s heat and re-radiates it at night, yet it is also a cooler, less exposed place. It’s therefore a site that always produces fully ripe fruit and intense freshness while also something finer and more restrained than a typical Monts-Damnés—hence, the historical fame. This has the diamond-cut clarity allied to perfectly ripe fruit intensity that is a hallmark of this release—and there’s also something more elemental. Again, the sunny season has done nothing to blunt the razor-edge precision of this grower’s Sancerre. Marked by the soil rather than the sun, this wine often incorporates the best elements of all the vineyards above. It has a seductive texture and nectarine-like fruit, yet also thoroughbred restraint, great line, mineral clarity, and box-office chalky length. A Grand Cru in all but name, 20 years will not weary this astonishing young Sancerre.

As Australian Chardonnay continues its re-emergence, Vasse Felix Heytesbury is firmly leading the charge with its complex, modern style that has seen the winemaking team take home a cabinet full of trophies and gold medals in recent years. 100% wild yeast fermented and matured in French oak for only nine months, there is a power and persistence that is unmistakable. A flavour cavalcade of matchstick, citrus, white peach and grapefruit alongside a subtle toasty, nutty aspect from the sublime oak regime. The finish of this remarkable example will leave you in no doubt to this wines pedigree and ageability. Sheer classic.

The home of truly elegant, yet powerful Chardonnay is without question, Chassagne-Montrachet. When you marry the unique terroir of this ancient site and the winemaking expertise of Louis Latour domaine, the result is the rich and engaging white wine. Complex flavours of peach and nectarine flow across the palate which finishes with a minerality the envy of most Chardonnay producers. Wonderfully attractive when young - buoyant and lively - yet will age for more than a decade to reveal toasty, textured buttered notes.

Graacher Himmelreich is a renowned vineyard that borders the southern edge of its more famous neighbour Wehlener Sonnenuhr. The Auslese examples typically show grapefruit citrus and green apple aromas, with honeyed overtones, wonderful density and pronounced minerality carried along by signature Mosel racy acidity.

The wine tastes remarkably good: concentrated, aromatic, and complex. The speed with which the grapes became concentrated preserved magnificent vivaciousness. The wines are truly brilliant.