2019 Romanee St Vivant

The 2019 Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru wafts from the glass with breathtaking aromas of raspberries and strawberries mingled with bergamot, Indian spices, peonies and rose petals. Full-bodied, vibrant and perfumed, it's finer boned than the more muscular Grands-Échézeaux, with a bright spine of acidity and beautifully refined tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Striking for its purity and elegance, my handwritten notes include the phrase "pure sensuality."

This was in a difficult place to taste a year ago in barrel. Quite a full dark purple on the nose, the fruit is notably darker on the nose, with more power than detail at first sniff. Some blacker fruit alongside the crushed strawberry, builds beautifully across the palate, sensual certainly and I am sure the sense of refined detail I look for in Romanée St-Vivant will come later. Very light coffee notes as well. Strawberries strengthen on the nose. Quite firm tannins at the moment, but excellent length.

The 2019 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was picked on 20 and 21 of September at 18hL/ha and contains slightly less whole bunch than the Domaine's other cuvées this year. It has a whip-cracking bouquet, one that just stops you in your tracks. Red cherries, freshly picked raspberries, wilted rose petal and very light loamy scents soar from the glass. No wonder this is poured after the Richebourg. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, stunningly vibrant red berry fruit, hints of tobacco and graphite that percolate through with time in the glass. It fans out gloriously towards the finish. Awesome length. What distinguishes this from the Richebourg is the tension throughout from start to finish. Heavenly, 1,351 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow's annual in battle tasting in London.