The 2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Bel Air was affected by the frost, around 50% to 60% lost this vintage (equating to four barrels). It has quite a rich and expressive bouquet with touches of damson and sloes infusing the bright red berry fruit—vivacious and generous. The palate is sweet and fleshy on the entry, vibrant red fruit with fine tension and structure towards the finish. It does not possess the length of the best wines from Taupenot-Merme but it certainly has plenty of class and sappiness.

The 2015 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Bel Air reveals a deep bouquet of wild black fruit, coniferous forest floor and subtle soil tones. On the palate, the wine is fine-grained, medium to full-bodied and underpinned by juicy acids, with a firm chassis of tannin that asserts itself on the finish.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Bel Air from Taupenot-Merme, which was bottled under Diam 10, showed some signs of whole bunch fruit on the nose: earthy and leafy in style, a complete contrast to Serafin's 2014 Les Fonteny tasted alongside. The palate is well balanced but the tannins feel a little coarse on the entry, a Gevrey that needs to knit together its elements to make it whole. It also tapers in a little toward the finish. Give it another two years in bottle and keep your fingers crossed. Tasted September 2017.