The 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or is a remarkable wine. Unwinding in the glass with notes of pear, freshly baked bread, clear honey, white flowers and crisp stone fruit, it's full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a deep and layered mid-palate, prodigious levels of concentration and a racy spine of acidity that animates the long, penetrating finish. In the past, Ente's old-vine communal Meursault bottlings, above all his Sève du Clos, have tended to dominate the range, but in 2019 it's the Goutte d'Or, from a parcel planted in 1990, that stands out not only as the pinnacle of the portfolio but also as the best young wine I've ever tasted at this address. It will be worth a special effort to seek out.

The 2018 Meursault 1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or mingles aromas of pear and Meyer lemon with hints of toasted almond, white flowers and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and precise, with lovely depth and mid-palate amplitude, its elegantly fleshy core of fruit is girdled by racy acids.

Aromas of crisp green pear, clear honey, citrus oil, oatmeal and struck match introduce Ente's 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Les Gouttes d'Or, a full-bodied, deep and textural wine that's concentrated and complete while remaining racy and incisive. Tasted from bottle, this confirms its super showing last year and will be well worth seeking out.

Tasted blind, this was an exceptional showing for Ente's 2015 Meursault 1er Cru La Goutte d'Or, a beautiful wine that offers up a youthfully reserved bouquet of iodine, citrus oil and white flowers. On the palate, this Goutte d'Or is full-bodied, ample and layered, with terrific cut, concentration and length, its tension and vivacity lending it considerable drama despite its reticence in other respects.

Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting, the 2014 Meursault 1er Cru Goutte d'Or from Arnaud Ente is feted in some quarters; but on this blind showing it clearly split our group of tasters, and I was rather nonplussed. It felt a little disjointed on the nose. Like too many others, there were some SO2 issues at play that tended to suppress the fruit, rendering it rather anonymous. The palate was balanced but simple with fresh lime and citrus fruit, a touch of orange peel and a light, slightly honeyed finish that lingered pleasantly in the mouth. Yet given the reputation of both Ente and the vintage, I would have anticipated more.