The 2017 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Combes reveals aromas of green orchard fruit and beeswax, as well as a touch more framing new oak than the Saint-Aubin Le Charmois. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny textured and elegantly fleshy. It will drink well on release.

The 2015 Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Combes, matured in 25% new oak, has a very pleasant bouquet with touches of hazelnut and smoke infusing the citrus fruit, a subtle almost fudge-like sweetness just emerging with time, though it maintains its delineation. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry. There is a playfulness here, very well balanced, a little fatness from the growing season, yet I love the white peach and apricot-tinged finish that lingers in the mouth. This is simply excellent.

The 2014 Saint Aubin 1er Cru les Combes has a little more fruité, perhaps just a touch more tropical than the 2014 Le Charmois at this stage, but not with the same degree of precision. The palate is very well balanced with a hint of nectarine and white peach on the entry; there is more depth and perhaps charm than the Charmois, but without that same killer precision on the finish. Still, this is very fine.

The 2013 Saint Aubin 1er Cru les Combes has a more reticent nose than I was expecting and seems less expressive than the other 2013s. The palate is nicely balanced with lime and orange zest notes and it finally (belatedly?) delivers the mineral note on the finish. Not bad, but I would afford this a year in bottle.