Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Richebourg Grand Cru 2008

robert_parker94

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted out of barrel at the Domaine. The Richebourg had just been racked when I tasted the wine. It has powerful dark fruit, briary, boysenberry and a touch of black plum with hints of vanilla pod. Like the Grands Echezeaux, it is showing more mineralite at the moment. The palate has a ripe, poised entry with more sinewy tannins, great depth with notes of blackberry, bilberry, crushed stones, Chinese tea and black olive. Firm and assertive on the curmudgeonly finish, but there is obviously great persistency and sense of swagger about this Richebourg. Tasted November 2009.

robert_parker92

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The Richebourg (served before the Romanee St. Vivant) has a beautiful, lifted nose that is more floral than usual, certainly more harmonious and “assured” than the 2007 tasted last year. Subtle notes of mulberry, raspberry, a hint of pencil box and some flinty notes that emerge after five minutes in glass. It does not quite have the breeding of the Romanee Saint Vivant and there is a herbaceous element loitering off-wing. The palate is harmonious on the entry, an engaging spiciness at the side of the mouth, quite firm and compact. The finish has a brooding intensity to it, but could do with a little more persistency, it seems to strop away when you want it to stay (though that can enhance the intrigue.) It will be interesting to see how this develops, although I would not touch it for 5-6 years. Tasted January 2011.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2008 Richebourg sweeps across the palate with a breathtaking combination of elegance and power. It is a huge wine that boasts tons of mineral-driven, pointed fruit with more than enough depth to fill out its broad shoulders. All of the elements build gracefully towards the intense, taut finish. The Richebourg is likely to require considerable patience. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2043. tasted the 2008s in bottle in late June 2011 after having gone through the 2010s from barrel. Aubert de Villaine describes 2008 as a difficult vintage with a lot of rain. Botrytis was an issue and the vineyards required constant attention. On September 14 the weather changed dramatically. A steady north wind dried out the grapes and concentrated sugars quickly, which also reduced the size of the berries. A further selection of fruit lowered yields to an even greater extent, resulting in overall production that is as much as 50% lower than normal for the Domaine. As for the wines, they are magnificent in my view, but will require considerable patience. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661