The 2019 Richebourg Grand Cru is a magical wine, even at this early stage, and it has amply realized all the potential it showed in barrel. Soaring from the glass with aromas of sweet wild berries, blood orange, Indian spices and rose petals, it's full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a sumptuous, enveloping core of vibrant fruit and a seamless, multidimensional profile. Revealing immense concentration, its chassis of perfectly ripe, refined tannins only makes itself felt on the finish, but its charm is deceptive, because this Richebourg is holding plenty in reserve for the future.
Discover the depth and richness of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Richebourg - Grand Cru, crafted by the renowned Domaine de la Romanee Conti. This exquisite red wine showcases the best of its region, offering a symphony of flavors that include ripe berries, subtle spices, and hints of oak. Perfect for elevating any meal or occasion.
The 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru offers up generous aromas of ripe strawberries, raspberries, cinnamon and coniferous forest floor, framed by a lavish application of creamy new oak that's less immediately integrated than in the Domaine's other wines at this early stage. On the palate, the Richebourg is full-bodied, rich and multidimensional, with a lavishly enveloping attack and supple structuring tannins that are almost entirely concealed by its deep core of fruit. Long and sapid, this is a spectacular wine in the making.
Broader-shouldered and ampler than the Romanée-St-Vivant, the 2016 Richebourg Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a lavish bouquet of cassis, dark plums, candied peel, potpourri, Asian spices, peonies and smoked duck. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and expansive, with considerable depth and dimension at the core, and a gourmand, almost fleshy profile that marries beautifully with its cool, precise fruit tones and its velvety structuring tannins. This is a superb Richerbourg that to my palate surpasses the 2015 rendition.
The 2015 Richebourg Grand Cru is very good indeed, offering up a pure and surprisingly expressive nose of strawberry, dried rose, plum preserve, roast squab, raw cocoa and incipient rich soil tones, framed by some nutty new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, multidimensional and rich, sweet fruit playing in counterpoint with sapid, savory nuance. This Richebourg is denser at the core and less expansive than the corresponding Romanée-St-Vivant, and though the grain of its tannins is similar, their impact is more assertive and muscular. Cropped at 24 hectoliters per hectare and harvested September 8 and 9.
The 2014 Richebourg Grand Cru was picked on 20 and 21 September at 29.75 hectoliters per hectare. This has a gorgeous, flamboyant, vivacious bouquet with blossoming red cherries, crushed strawberry, less undergrowth scents compared to the showing in barrel, replaced by pressed rose petal notes. There is wonderful delineation and exuberance here. The palate is medium-bodied with a lively, spicy, white pepper-tinged entry, just a faint hint of black truffle tincturing the dark berry fruit. There is superb backbone and density here, a Richebourg delivering on its promise from barrel, plus it comes armed with an extraordinarily long aftertaste that evokes marine-like images, something wild and estuarine. While not as flattering as the Romanée-Saint-Vivant at the moment, just wait ten years. 1,160 cases produced.
The 2013 Richebourg Grand Cru was harvested on the afternoon of October 9 and then the following day at just 16.5 hectoliters per hectare, the second lowest after the Echézeaux. It is clearly the elder brother of the 2013 Romanée-Saint-Vivant with intense dark cherry, black plum, tayberry and crushed violet aromas (the latter, perhaps a nod to the Romanée-Saint-Vivant). As with all the domaine's wines this year, it is beautifully defined with beguiling transparency. The palate is medium-bodied, but there is serious weight and presence here. It is struck through with sorbet-like freshness, hints of blood orange tincturing the vibrant red fruit, seguing into a finish with great conviction and confidence, a Richebourg self-aware though not preening about its status. This is a Richebourg to cellar for several years and to enjoy over the next 20 to 25 years (or more). Production is 551 cases. Tasted February 2016.
Discover the depth and richness of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Richebourg - Grand Cru, crafted by the renowned Domaine de la Romanee Conti. This exquisite red wine showcases the best of its region, offering a symphony of flavors that include ripe berries, subtle spices, and hints of oak. Perfect for elevating any meal or occasion.
The 2011 Richebourg was picked on 7 and 8 September at 28.36hl/ha. It has a very pure bouquet, a mixture of blackberry, raspberry leaf, freshly tilled meadow and a touch of cold stone. It is not a powerful bouquet, but delineated and very focused. The palate is not dissimilar to the Grands Echezeaux on the entry: linear and poised with crisp brambly red fruit. But it swerves another way mid-through, developing a wonderful candied core of strawberry and Morello and a caressing finish sending ripples of pleasure across the senses. In many ways it is a self-effacing Richebourg with charm and candour, but I Richebourg that I suspect may be deceptively long lived. The Richebourg 2011 is a fair prince rather than a grand king. 931 cases produced. Drink 2018-2035.
The 2010 Richebourg is a kaleidoscope of black fruit, graphite, mint, violets and spices. It is a towering, statuesque wine that completely saturates the palate in all directions, seemingly at the same time. The 2010 stands out for its beguiling, totally exquisite aromatics. The trademark Richebourg structure is present, but this seems to be a vintage where finesse takes precedence over sheer power. Anticipated maturity: 2030-2060.
I tasted the 2010s twice from barrel, once in the summer just as the wines were about to be racked and then again during my early December visit. On both occasions the wines were stellar. Like virtually all of his colleagues, co-manager Aubert de Villaine was surprised by the level of the 2010s given all of the challenges of the growing season. I could repeat everything de Villaine told me, but there is no better source than the man himself, so readers who want to learn more about the 2010 harvest may want to take a look at my interview with de Villaine on www.erobertparker.com. Overall, I am very impressed with the 2010s with the exception of the Corton, which appears to be a notch or two below the 2009. The 2010 that most greatly exceeds its appellation and historical level of quality is the Echezeaux. I also tasted the 2010 Vosne-Romanee Cuvee Duvault-Blochet but the domaine had not yet decided if the wine would be released. I will report on the 2009s in our April issue.
The 2009 Richebourg is a dramatic wine. In 2009 there is so much fruit that the tannins are barely perceptible. With time in the glass dark notes of tar, smoke, licorice and violets develop, adding tons of complexity to the fruit. This is a huge, vertical wine that captures the essence of Richebourg in its towering fruit and structure. Layers of fruit saturate every corner of the palate as the wine builds to a deeply satisfying crescendo of head-spinning aromas and flavors. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2059.
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s 2009s have turned out just as brilliantly as I had hoped. The wines reflect the signature qualities of the year, but never lose their essential classicism. Long-time DRC fans know the domaine bottles in six-barrel lots, which naturally introduces a level of bottle variation that is not found in most other wines. I hope the massive amount of information that has recently come to light regarding counterfeit wines and their proliferation might be the catalyst for the domaine to consider bottling their wines in one homogenous lot, as is common for the vast majority of high-quality wines throughout the world. Once the domaine’s wines mature in 20-30 years it will be impossible to tell the difference between ‘normal’ bottle variation, poorly stored bottles and very good fakes. Certainly consumers who are willing and able to pay the prices these wines fetch are at the very least deserving of a consistent product.
Discover the depth and richness of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Richebourg - Grand Cru, crafted by the renowned Domaine de la Romanee Conti. This exquisite red wine showcases the best of its region, offering a symphony of flavors that include ripe berries, subtle spices, and hints of oak. Perfect for elevating any meal or occasion.
Discover the depth and richness of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Richebourg - Grand Cru, crafted by the renowned Domaine de la Romanee Conti. This exquisite red wine showcases the best of its region, offering a symphony of flavors that include ripe berries, subtle spices, and hints of oak. Perfect for elevating any meal or occasion.
Discover the depth and richness of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Richebourg - Grand Cru, crafted by the renowned Domaine de la Romanee Conti. This exquisite red wine showcases the best of its region, offering a symphony of flavors that include ripe berries, subtle spices, and hints of oak. Perfect for elevating any meal or occasion.
The 2005 Richebourg suggests lightly cooked cherry, lilies, and vanilla-chocolate pot de creme, coming onto the palate with a gentle wave of creamy fruit, almost shockingly open-knit and youthfully generous. Low-toned richness of salted beef broth and a hint of wet stone add hints of gravitas, but despite ample (refined) tannins, there is nothing to restrain a veritable gushing of ripe, juicy, sweet finishing fruit.
Discover the depth and richness of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Richebourg - Grand Cru, crafted by the renowned Domaine de la Romanee Conti. This exquisite red wine showcases the best of its region, offering a symphony of flavors that include ripe berries, subtle spices, and hints of oak. Perfect for elevating any meal or occasion.
Discover the depth and richness of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Richebourg - Grand Cru, crafted by the renowned Domaine de la Romanee Conti. This exquisite red wine showcases the best of its region, offering a symphony of flavors that include ripe berries, subtle spices, and hints of oak. Perfect for elevating any meal or occasion.
