Vinified without any destemming, Croix's 2021 Corton Grand Cru La Vigne Au Saint exhibits aromas of cherries and red berries mingled with peonies and spices, without any of the feared herbaceous qualities that led so many to destem comprehensively in this vintage. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and an expansive finish, it's a success.

Revisited in bottle, the 2020 Corton Grand Cru La Vigne Au Saint unwinds in the glass with aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with notions of raw cocoa, spices and vanilla pod. Full-bodied, fleshy and textural, it's a powerful, muscular wine with a layered core of fruit framed by powdery tannins and bright acids. It shows excellent potential, but it will require patience.

The most muscular and introverted of these bottled wines, the 2019 Corton Grand Cru La Vigne Au Saint unfurls in the glass with scents of plums, rose petals, peonies, orange rind, spices and loamy soil. Full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's serious and multidimensional, with impressive reserves of fruit and tannin. If Croix's Beaune bottlings are comparatively approachable out of the gates, especially in a vintage such as this, the Corton will demand some patience.

The 2018 Corton Grand Cru La Vigne Au Saint has also turned out very well, revealing aromas of cassis, wild berries, rich soil tones and grilled squab. Medium to full-bodied, it's finer boned and more elegant than the muscular Les Grèves, with powdery structuring tannins and lively acids largely concealed in its concentrated core of fruit.

The 2017 Corton Grand Cru La Vigne Au Saint opens in the glass with aromas of sweet wild berries, grilled meats, dark chocolate and woodsmoke. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, vibrant and nicely concentrated, with a deep core of fruit, tangy acids and fine but youthfully chewy tannins. This will need some time, but it's a promising Corton.