The 2020 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline unwinds in the glass with a deep bouquet of wild berries, vine smoke, raw cocoa, cloves, anise and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's layered and complete, with a tightly wound core of vibrant fruit framed by beautifully refined tannins and concluding with a long, saline finish. Less demonstrative than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, I suspect it will emerge as the finest of the trilogy in the fulness of time, but it will require patience.

The 2019 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline is exquisite this year, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries and raspberries mingled with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, raw cocoa, orange rind and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's seamless and elegant, with powdery tannins and lively acids. As is routinely the case, this is a benchmark for the appellation.

The 2018 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline is another stellar performance from Lorenzon, mingling aromas of dark berries, cassis and plums with hints of smoked meats, orange rind, dark chocolate and exotic spices in a deep and seamlessly integrated bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, it's deep and concentrated, built around powdery tannins and lively acids, its lively core of fruit complemented by inviting sapid, even carnal nuances. This impeccably balanced wine has an identity all of its own, but it could be seamlessly slipped into any tasting of the C?te de Nuits' best.

The 2017 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline is also superb, unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark chocolate, wild plums, dried flowers, cinnamon and spices. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and layered, with huge volume and depth at the core, displaying a broader, more textural profile than the regular Champs Martin. This will merit a bit more bottle age, but it's a fabulous effort from Bruno Lorenzon.

Lorenzon's 2016 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos de Champs Martin Cuvée Carline is very different from this year's regular Champs Martin bottling, exhibiting brooding aromas of blackberry, cassis, violets and lilac that almost evoke classical C?te-R?tie. On the palate, it's full-bodied and multidimensional, with more amplitude and power, its deep core of fruit framed by firm, tensile tannins. Of all Lorenzon's reds, this will require the most time in bottle, but its potential is immense.