The 2014 Morey St Denis Villages is more reticent, less communicative on the nose compared to the Chambolle Villages. The palate has a touch of sour cherry on the entry, slightly bony tannin at the moment with a terse finish that should flesh out a little after bottling (though my preference remains for the Chambolle Villages).

The 2013 Morey-Saint-Denis Village has a conservative bay-leaf-tinged bouquet, the fruit a little blacker than Taupenot's other village crus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, grainy tannin. There is a palpable sense of energy here and fine tension toward the finish. A modest Morey-Saint-Denis, but one that has character and personality that will doubtlessly become more expressive post-bottling.

The 2012 Morey-Saint-Denis Villages has a fragrant nose of brambly red fruit, wild hedgerow and a touch of earth. This opens nicely with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and lively with a crisp line of acidity and great tension on the finish. This is a very fine village cru demonstrating structure and presence. When I visited Domaine Taupenot-Merme in November, some of the samples did not show well since they had been taken too quickly from tank, therefore I re-tasted them with Romain Taupenot in late January, with the exception of his negoce wines that did not have any problems. Importers: Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620; Scott Paul Wines, Carlton, OR; tel. (503) 852-7300; J.A.O. Wine Imports, McLean, VA; contact@jaowineimports.com. Also available through John Armit Wines in the UK.

The 2011 Morey Saint Denis Villages has a fragrant floral bouquet. The palate shows a touch of piquancy on the entry and the tannins feel a little hard right on the finish. Perhaps a year is due to allow it to mellow? Drink 2014-2019. Taupenot-Merme was my final visit of the week. I have been following these wines for a number of years, even predating my wine writing career. Winemaker Romain Taupenot and his sister Virginie run the domaine in the centre of Morey-Saint-Denis and fashion a classical style of Burgundy wine that I feel has improved in recent years. Their 2011s are well-crafted and are mainly predesigned for early to mid-term consumption. Importers: Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620; Scott Paul Wines, Carlton, OR; tel. (503) 852-7300; J.A.O. Wine Imports, McLean, VA; contact@jaowineimports.com

The 2010 Morey St. Denis bristles on the palate with brilliant energy and focus. The Morey impresses for its beautifully delineated dark red fruit and sheer personality. This is a fabulous showing at the villages level. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. Romain Taupenot lost between 25-40% of his 2010 production to the poor weather, although some of his lower lying parcels were down as much as 80%. Fortunately the Grand Crus were down only 15% on average. The harvest began on September 23. Taupenot reported that the fruit required some sorting in the winery. Importers: Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620, Imported by Scott Paul Wines, Carlton, OR; tel. (503) 852 7300; J.A.O. Wine Imports, McLean, VA; contact@jaowineimports.com