Now that is what a call a fine wine. Jean Boxler hits the spot once again even in this difficult vintage

Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg L31D 2003, Domaine Boxler
The nose explodes with an array of exciting, compelling flavours. There is peachy fruit there, along with fresh redcurrant, it has a rich minerality, and is extraordinarily complex. Yummy, smells good, I rather fancy. The palate has some breadth, but is kept lively by a sharp mineral tang and good acidity. The acid and the fruit persist on the finish to make this a very refreshing drink, despite all of its size and complexity. Tasty stuff. Long, stylish, complex and even tasty, what more could a loony ask for? Excellent.

No, it is not being expected to drink Claret; that appalls me.

In recent days the head of the Cheshire police force has been calling for an increase in the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 to help combat underage drinkers. Firstly, increasing the drinking age is a foolish idea, as it increases the view amongst those too young to drink that they are doing something special and "cool".

If one wants to encourage responsible drinking, surely it would be better that alcohol use be portrayed as a normal part of life for adults. Youth will not feel the need to go and get violently drunk if they do not think there is anything special about drinking alcohol.

Secondly, the idiot chief constable conveniently seems to have forgotten that those pesky drunken kids causing a problem in his area are already underage and so covered by existing law. Raising the legal age would only increase the number of underage drinkers and with it the burden of policing that he would have to carry.

Finally, it is unacceptable for the police to call for a change in the law like this, even vicariously. It is their job to enforce the law, not to dictate what laws they enforce.

Moreover, he has called for a ban on drinking in public places, which further takes drinking out of mainstream behaviour and penalises the majority of people with a responsible attitude to alcohol. Again such a change in the law would only make alcohol seem special to underage people and not encourage them to see it as a normal part of adult life.

It really irritated me that the ravings of this police officer have been reported entirely uncritically by the media. He has been given free-rein to speak without anyone pointing out the obvious flaws in his demands, which make him seem misguided about drinking culture at best and pernicious in his attempt to change the law at worst. He should get on with his job of policing the laws that exist and stop trying to abuse his position of authority to interfere with our lives.

Notes have been a bit thin on the ground of late, I am not feeling happy and even the mystic power of wine does little to cheer me. However, tonight we have popped one of the loveliest bottles of wine I've had in... oh... I period of time. I know I've had this many times before, but this is the best bottle that has been popped.

Meursault "Les Tillets" 2001, Domaine Roulot
The nose is really nutty and mineral. It has a very pleasing, round character, but it has real precision and purity of aromas on the nose. It is very stoney, but has some really good lemon fruit. The palate is a delight of pure flavours, precisely defined fruit, minerality and acidity. This is quite lovely, real depth of flavours and great length. It is really stylish too. This is a fine wine, and up for drinking (with a lot of pleasure) now. Top bunny.

This is quite the nicest bottle of white Burgundy I've had in, oh, a period of time. It is a beast, but is really elegant and refined.

Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2001, Paul Pernot et fils
A huge round nose of nuts and sweet fruit, this has odd hints of Frangelico it is so hazelnutty. It is also extraordinarily mineral and deeply complex. It has to be admitted, there is a bit of sulphur there. The palate is utterly brilliant: broad, nutty with plenty of fat, yet with precision, lively acidity and brilliant minerality. It is very long with great complexity. This is really stylish. A stunning wine that only really needs more time to shed the sulphur and become properly mature.

I only own one bottle of Claret, I hate the stuff. Red Bordeaux is simply dull unless it is fabulously expensive, and most of them are still crap. After this I am not going to buy another bottle of red Bordeaux.

Domaine de Chevalier 1995
Oh god, I fucking hate crappy fucking Claret. Yeah, yeah, it smells of blackcurrant and cedarwood, bit dirty. Piss boring. Palate dry and austere, not much fruit. Just what is the point? I really don't see it. I find this stuff actively unpleasant, and I feel ashamed of myself for having purchased it at a knock-down price eight-odd years ago.

I took this to my cellar in France on release and dragged it back on my way to the bin. It isn't bad at all.

Semillon 2000, Moss Wood
This smells amazingly oaky, but it has seen no new oak at all. It has some waxy, lanoline character as well. Not much in the way of fruit, it has to be said, but it still smells quite pleasing. The palate is big but not at all flabby. There is a bit of lemony fruit here, and it tastes vanilla-y as well. This is really quite nice, despite it not being a terribly conventional wine. Good result from the experiment.

Meusault les Tillets 2001, Roulot
Very good minerality on the nose, nice fruit, too. It has a very elegant, refined palate that is characterised by lemon fruit, acidity and minerality all in perfect harmony. This is quite a delicious wine.

Vintage Champagne 1996, Pol Roger
Bready. yeasty nose that shows hints of maturity. The palate is a lot more mature and less austere than last time I had it. It has a degree of astringency, which is quite nice. Whilst this has matured somewhat there is really no rush to drink this.

Cote-Rotie Cote Brune 1991, Gentaz-Dervieux
The nose has the elegance of a good, mature Cote-Rotie: there is nice fruit and earthiness. The palate has elegance too, but also the masculinity of Cote Brune. This is very complex and long, quite delicious, too. A real treat to drink.

Montebello 1996, Ridge
Very blackcurranty nose, full of fruit and bursting with life. It doesn't smell at all over-blown or too alcoholic. The palate has some pretty serious tannins and acidity, but I think there is enough fruit there to balance this. It is very long and there is some serious complexity there. Still youthful and no rush to drink. This is as good as US Cabernet gets. I still don't like Cabernet, though.

Hermitage La Chapelle 1988, Jaboulet
Slightly high-toned nose, it is a bit cheesy too. Not much fruit. Palate is a bit tough and dry and also lacks a bit of fruit. Reasonable length, though. It does seem a bit past it.

Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvée St. Catherine l'Inedit! 2000, Domaine Weinbach
Lovely earthy nose, extremely mineral and complex. Very concentrated, it is big but lovely. The palate is confidently structured: lots of fruit, acid and alcohol. But it is all in perfect harmony. Very long, very complex. This is really tits, man.

Chateau Ormes de Pez 1986
Blackcurrant nose, cedarwood and earth. This smells like type claret. The palate is dry and hard, with little fruit and not much in the way of charm. I cannot stand it.

Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru 2004, Prince Florent de Merode
It is quite pale in colour. Smells a touch green, but has ripeness and weight. This bitter herb character seems very Corton to me. Again it has greenness on the palate, but a good degree of concentration. It has a degree of bitterness. It is OK, but nothing to write home about. With some air it lost some of its bitterness and gained a degree of charm. It is still nothing to write home about, though.

Hermitage 1994, J-L Chave
Herbal, meaty nose. Seems very ripe for a 94. Very complex, very earthy. Maybe the acidity it a touch high, but there is a lot of fresh fruit, real complexity and fabulous length. It is really tasty. This is clearly quite serious and drinking very well now.

The one producer I managed to visit on the abbreviated trip. All of the wines were barrel samples of 2006. Anne Gros commented that the 06 vintage had a lot of charm. I could see that, I also thought the wines were quite pure and refined.

Bourgogne Rouge Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2006
Prickly, slightly green nose. Nice fruit on the palate. For such a minor wine this has a degree of refinement. Nice.

Bourgogne Rouge 2006
Better fruit here, some blackberry. The palate is a bit spikey but again there is some nice fruit. Once again there seems to be a degree of refinement and charm with some reasonable weight for a Bourgogne Rouge. Very good for what it is.

Chambolle-Musigny Combe d'Orveau 2006
Very elegant fruit, raspberries. The palate is very elegant, too, with good harmony and plenty of charm, nice fruit and good acidity. A very pretty village wine.

Vosne-Romanée les Barreux 2006
A bit gassy. Nice blackberry fruit on the nose. Quite a complex palate with a good interplay between fruit, minerality and tannin. Good length and concentration, too. Very nice indeed.

Clos Vougeot Grand Cru le Grand Marpertui 2006
The nose explodes with exotic fruit and flowers. Very complex indeed. It is quite tannic, but the fruit is very elegant and refined. Lovely acidity. Great length. This is a really serious wine that is utterly delicious.

Richebourg Grand Cru 2006
An extra-ordinary nose of exotic fruit with hints of liquorice. It is so complex with real old vines concentration. The palate has a great texture and lovely, lovely fruit. It is very long and again shows real refinement and charm. This is truly fine wine.

Hautes Cotes de Nuitrs Blanc Cuvée Marine 2006
Very ripe pear fruit nose. Some weight to the palate. Acid not too high. Reasonably pretty.

Bourgogne Blanc 2006
A surprising amount of depth and concentration on the nose. Same on the palate, too. It has a tiny bit of residual sugar which makes it seem a touch fat. Nice, though.

Well, the first two bottles we had by the pool. I wanted to see what Jacques thought of Bannockburn as Gary Farr, the winemaker of Bannockburn, has done some vintages at Dujac.

Riesling Grand Cru Pfersigberg Vieille Vigne 2001, Bruno Sorg
Very much like Cuvée Frédéric Emile on the nose. Ripe fruit and concentration but restrained. Very direct and linear. Lovely complexity, though. Very long. Quite delicious.

Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg L31D 2003, Boxler
Delicious nose of ripe citrus fruit and minerality. Real depth of concentration here. Very stylish. Palate is utterly delicious with lots of fruit and real length. Very tasty stuff; I love it.

Pinot Noir 2001, Bannockburn
Some nice earthiness to the pure red fruit nose. Seems a hint of stalkiness is there as well. Soft palate, quite mature. Reasonably tasty. I could easily guess this as minor Burgundy if I tried it blind.

Shiraz 2000, Bannockburn
Spicy, peppery nose with soft ripe fruit. Palate is warm and peppery, quite Rhone-y too. I rather like this.

A brilliant farmhouse eating establishment in the hills of the Hautes Cotes.

Monthelie 2004, Comte Lafon
Nice lemon fruit, some minerality. It is light and simple on the palate but perfectly drinkable. Nice enough.

Morgon 2006, Lapierre
Light strawberry fruit nose. Clarity of fruit on the nose and palate. Nice and refreshing. This is real type Beaujolais that is not trying to be anything else. Good.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epeneaux 1990, Comte Armand
Beautiful nose of red fruit and complex earthiness. Very stylish. The nose is quite delicious. The palate, on the other had, is too extracted and the alcohol is too high. It is good, but it could have been so much more.

Volnay-Santenots-du-Millieu 1990, Comte Lafon
There is a hint of cheese to the nose, but it basically shows pure red fruit of elegance and refinement, despite its obvious ripeness. The palate is extracted, but really silky and smooth. Very long, very complex, very stylish. Truly excellent.

Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2001, Domaine des Lambrays
Everyone knows I love this wine; it is the cat's arse.

Sancerre "Les Romains" 2005, Domaine Vacheron
Not very Sauvignon-y. Very mineral. A reasonable amount of green grassiness. Very mineral palate. Very long and complex, Quite stylish, too. This is top Sancerre.

I am out of the bin so, as promised, here are my brief notes from the aborted trip to France. On our first day we had:

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Morgeot 2001, Moreau et fils
Quite direct, some nice weight, though, but not terribly complex. It had been opened for a day.

Puligny-Montrachet 2000, Domaine Leflaive
Nice creamy nose, quite mineral. Palate has fresh acidity but the creamy texture of Leflaive. A very nice village Puligny.

Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Champs-Gains 2001, Moreau et fils
Very direct, linear palate, acidity quite high and not much fat. It is ok, but hardly thrilling.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Folatieres 2000, Paul Pernot
A very nutty, lemony nose, with a complex interplay of fruit, flowers and minerality. The palate has a lot to offer. It has weight, breadth, but with really good acidity. It is quite youthful. Fine and stylish, top bunny.

Hermitage 1996, J-L Chave
Lovely perfumed nose, quite Burgundian fruit to it. It is really earthy and complex. Very stylish nose: lovely. The palate is very voluptuous, round and giving. Quite delicious and fruity. This is really complex. Very long. Excellent wine, super top bunny.

Crozes-Hermitage 1996, Alain Graillot
Very peppery, spicy, plummy nose. Smells (and looks) quite young. Hints of cheap cologne. Plate is quite smooth with reasonable length and complexity. It is really very good.

Riesling Erdener Pralat Auslese Goldkapsel 1997, Dr Loosen
Very botrytic. Very forward on the nose. Quite heavy. Lacks a bit of zip, focus and purity. It is just a bit dull, really.

I have risen! At least, I have escaped from the bin. Cheers, cheers for being an articulate loony. We celebrate with Chablis.

Chablis Grand Cru Grenouille 2002, J-P et B Droin
It has some honey and nuts but is really sulphury. That puts me off a bit, but the palate is reasonably tasty. Nice acidity, good fruit, a touch of astrigency (which is quite nice, really), and good length. Reasonable weight and minerality to it. It is pretty good, and for lips that have been in the bin for a week that'll do nicely.

My week's holiday in Burgundy has been cut short as I am so suicidal I need to be in the psychiatric ward as soon as possible. I am typing this on the train back into London, when I arrive it'll be straight to the loony bin. Those tasting notes I did write on my brief period there will have to wait until I am sane enough to be let out. I did have some very fine wines but even their power did not cheer me up enough to stay in Burgundy tasting.

Hell'ś bells. What the hell is this beast in my glass? Made by the old Cape Mentelle winemaker.

3 Amigos Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre 2005, McHenry Hohnen Vintners

This is a booze-tastic horror of christmas pudding fruit and alcoholic craziness. It has a very fruity nose, a very soapy, soupy, fruity palate. Of all of the hideous, dull, wallpapery, boring powerhouse wines I've had, this is perhaps the most hideous, dull, wallpapery and boring.