The 2014 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru appears to offer more finesse and cohesion on the nose when compared to its Clos Saint Denis sibling. It seems to shimmer in the glass, vivid and vivacious. The palate is supple in the mouth with hints of orange sorbet infusing the pure red berry fruit, the acidity well judged and a very harmonious, silky smooth finish lingers long in the mouth. This is an excellent Clos de la Roche in the making, hopefully in the same vein as the outstanding 2005 that I tasted just a couple of days after my visit.

The 2013 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a more complete and harmonious bouquet than the Clos Saint Denis '13 at the moment, with attractive undergrowth scents, bay leaf and a sprig of thyme. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin and fine structures. Indeed, this is a more masculine Clos de la Roche. It is poised though reticent on the finish and will reward those who cellar for at least 4 or 5 years.

The 2012 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a dark berry, wild strawberry and yellow plum-scented nose that is more predictable but perhaps better defined than the Clos Saint Denis. The palate is fleshy and rounded on the entry. It is interwoven with fine acidity and it shows great length, seguing into its tender and feminine on the finish. It is deceptively complex and one of Lucien le Moine's best 2012s. It is always a pleasure to visit the indefatigable Mounir Saouma at his hideaway winery just off the Beaune periphique. He is a winemaker you can jest with, and he is often victim of my sardonic Essex humor (for example, when enthusing about obtaining one of five barrels of a premier cru, I dryly enquired whether the other four were sold off for distillation - I would not say that to Aubert de Villaine.) And I appreciate Mounir's wines. They used to taste a little too fat and almost over-powering in their youth, but I think he is fine-tuning his reductive winemaking style, achieving more freshness and vitality. I tasted his 2012 reds since the whites were still undergoing malolactic. Among the tidal wave of opinions, one that he emphasized was that to capture the quality of the vintage under cork, the wines should be bottled late, and not in spring when Burgundy will resound to the clinking of glass. Mounir also told me that he paid 50% more from wines in 2012 than in 2011, but that he intends to keep prices within 15% increase. Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000, Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639

The 2011 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a pure bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry, cold stone and bay leaf that is very well-defined. The palate is structured and tightly wound, almost aloof at the moment, but there is certainly very good depth and harmony with a long, persistent yet somehow weightless finish. This is another impressive 2011 from Lucien Le Moine. Drink 2017-2035. Prior to launching into Maison Lucien de Moine’s 2012 reds with irrepressible winemaker Mounir Saouma, we revisited some of his 2011s that are now in bottle. To recap, Mounir is one of the last Burgundy producers to bottle his wines, since he is a great believer in extended elevage. There is a clutch of outstanding wines in this vintage, particularly at the grand cru level, where one must admire the consistency across the board. As always, readers are reminded that Lucien Le Moine’s wines are made in a stringently reductive method, therefore they always need more decanting time than other growers. Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000, Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639

The 2010 Clos de la Roche, on the other hand, emphasizes focus and linearity. The wine's length alone is remarkable. Sweet red cherries, dried roses, exotic spices, smoke and licorice are some of the many notes that are woven throughout this utterly compelling, complex Clos de La Roche. The gracious, weightless finish is strikingly beautiful. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. It is always fascinating to settle in for a tasting with proprietor Mounir Saouma. With the exception of Jadot, I can't think of a single maison that draws across such a broad range of top vineyards. When taken together, the whites and reds provide insight to the performance of dozens of the finest sites in the region. Saouma is not much for comparisons when discussing 2010, saying quite simply, -2010 is 2010.- The vintage was not without some disappointments. Because of the miniscule yields, there is no 2010 Romanee St. Vivant or Richebourg. As always, these are some of the most unmanipulated wines being made in Burgundy. When I tasted the 2010s in November 2011, the wines had never been sulphured or racked. Saouma had just finished bottling his 2009s (a vintage many bottled on the early side) in October 2011! Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000, Atherton Imports, Menlo Park, CA; tel. (650) 328-6639