2010 Richebourg

Bright full red. High-pitched aromas of wild raspberry, licorice and crushed stone, lifted by a floral topnote. Like liquid silk in the mouth, hugely concentrated and primary, with powerful spicy minerality currently dominating the wine's youthful fruit and giving the palate an uncompromising early dryness. The explosive, expanding, perfumed finish is almost painful today. I wouldn't think about opening a bottle until around 2025, at which point this wine may well merit an even higher rating.

The 2010 Richebourg impresses for its depth and sheer power. Seemingly endless layers of fruit flow from this sensual, layered wine. There are virtually no hard edges. The 2010 is flat-out dazzling. It captivates all of the senses with an exotic melange of dark berry fruit and piercing floral notes. All of the aromas and flavors build towards an effortless crescendo of rare and thrilling pedigree. This is a stunning Richebourg from Grivot. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. I was blown away by the wines I tasted with Etienne Grivot on what turned out to be one of the most thrilling visits of my fall trip. Readers should do whatever they can to latch onto a few bottles of these exquisite Burgundies. Grivot talked about a roller coaster vintage which was saved by 3-4 days of good weather. The estate lost fruit from 3,000 plants and yields were down 40% across the board because of the poor weather during the flowering. The most dramatic proof of the loss in production was seeing some of rooms in the cellar with far fewer barrels than is the norm. The domaine’s 2009s are equally exciting. I will have notes on those wines in the April issue.

Medium red. High-pitched, vibrant nose combines pomegranate, cranberry, orange zest, minerals, flowers and dark chocolate. Sharply delineated but youthfully imploded, with a terrific sappy core of fruits and minerals. Really brilliant primary fruit here. The incredible slow-building finish saturates every square millimeter of the palate with vibrant flavor. A great Richebourg in the making.