Jancis Robinson (18.5)

Slightly more blueish purple than the Romanée St Vivant. Broad but less flattering on the nose than the RSV. Indeed it is slightly overshadowed by the RSV; I wonder whether the Domaine might in some years show the Richebourg before the RSV? More obviously 2004 than the RSB because a bit tighter and less obviously ripe with even the merest hint of green notes. This is a sinewy wine – more musclar than many Richebourgs. Fine, pure and extremely racy. Great refreshment value – certainly very, very different frim the RSV. Aerienne/ethereal. It should age well for it opened even in the glass but the acidity is particularly notable.

Burghound (95)

This is initially quite fragrant and expressive but the longer that the wine sat in the glass the more it progressively shut down and a great deal of swirling was necessary to liberate the mostly red berry fruit aromas that are liberally laced with a broad range of spice and floral elements, in particular rose petal. The broad-shouldered flavors possess a beguiling texture even though the supporting structure makes itself felt very quickly on the firm but not hard finish that goes on and on. While this is still clearly extremely young, 2006 is one of the few vintages of the DRC Richebourg with less than 20 years of age that could be reasonably approached now, though I stress that there is still considerable upside development potential remaining. In a word, terrific. Tasted five times in the several years with consistent results.

Vinous (93+)

Bright medium red. Pungent aromas of wild strawberry, minerals, spices and pepper. Not a fat wine but classy and suave, with terrific peppery, minerally lift in the middle palate. With aeration, this classically dry wine showed a stronger soil component and mounting power. Finishes with superb breadth and an impression of weightlessness. I might have initially mistaken this for the RSV-and vice-versa-had I tasted these blind, but this is ultimately the more powerful wine.

Wine Advocate (96)

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.

Vinous (97+)

I am surprised by how good the 2009 Richebourg is at this stage. Swaths of tannin frame an explosive core of fruit in a Burgundy endowed with a real sense of gravitas. The radiance and ripeness of the year has filled out the wine nicely, yet the 2009 remains a quintessentially powerful, substantial wine that will last decades. Although the 2009 is many years away from peaking, it is a real joy to catch it at this early stage.

Vinous - Neal Martin (97)

The 2010 Richebourg Grand Cru has an open, exuberant nose with dark berry fruit, bergamot, Earl Grey and crushed stone, seeming to "billow" with aeration. Fabulous delineation. It frankly puts all the preceding Richebourg wines in the shade. The palate is beautifully balanced and poised, finely tuned with a crescendo of red fruit and a perfect bead of acidity. This grips the mouth and doesn't let go, becoming more and more pixelated in the glass. Magnificent. Tasted at the Richebourg vertical dinner in Taipei.

Vinous (95)

A wine of depth, power and richness, the 2011 Richebourg brings together the intensity of the Grands-Échézeaux with floral overtones and tannins that resemble those of the Romanée St.-Vivant, making for a wonderfully complete Burgundy. Savory and floral notes meld into graphite, plum and violet notes, leading to a finish graced with substantial energy and polish.

Wine Advocate (97)

The Richebourg 2012 was picked September 27-28 at just 19 hectoliters per hectare, one of the lowest yields in this vintage. This has a serious bouquet, reserved at first, more earth than air. Unusual for this cuvee, there is a sense of exoticism here, a Richebourg daring to show a bit of ankle. Blackberry pastille intermingle with wilted violets, and there is a touch of warmth that belies the precocity of the growing season. Leaving it aside for 10 minutes, there are hints of Provençal herbs, broom and even fennel. The palate is medium-bodied and the first thing that strikes you is its backbone. Well, this is Richebourg after all. But there is an arching structure to this wine that is disguised by the silkiness of its texture, plus an almost citrus freshness and brightness on the finish. This is a Richebourg that will make you giddy with pleasure. 634 cases produced.

Wine Advocate (96)

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.

Jancis Robinson (19)

Vines aged 46 years. 24 hl/ha. Harvested 23–24 September. Bottled late March 2018. 868 dozen produced. Lightish ruby. Very pretty cherry fruit jumping from the glass and just a touch of wild herbs from the whole-bunch influence. Opens up to a more peppery lift, almost makes me want to sneeze. I’ve never taken snuff but I wonder if the revitalising effect is similar? There’s still all that tangy wild cherry on the palate but it is more severe than I expected from the nose, really corseted by the super-fine but strict tannins. Amazing power after such a pretty first impression. As with the Romanée-St-Vivant, the whole-bunch aroma – very hard to describe but it has a sort of fresh, herbal, dusty, woodland effect – grows in the glass. Darker on the finish, really sinewy and perfectly firm, compact, endless. (JH)

Vinous - Neal Martin (97)

The 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru is a fitting end to a vertical that several attendees voted wine of the night. It has a riveting bouquet, very harmonious with Earl-Grey-tinged red fruit, forest floor and hints of crushed stone. Wonderful delineation. The palate has exquisite balance and poise, a little powdery in texture with gentle grip. Layered dark berry fruit with hints of bay leaf and cola build towards the finish. Yes, it does need time, but I would not begrudge anyone giving into temptation in the near future. Tasted at the Richebourg vertical dinner in Taipei.

Vinous - Neal Martin (97)

The 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru is a fitting end to a vertical that several attendees voted wine of the night. It has a riveting bouquet, very harmonious with Earl-Grey-tinged red fruit, forest floor and hints of crushed stone. Wonderful delineation. The palate has exquisite balance and poise, a little powdery in texture with gentle grip. Layered dark berry fruit with hints of bay leaf and cola build towards the finish. Yes, it does need time, but I would not begrudge anyone giving into temptation in the near future. Tasted at the Richebourg vertical dinner in Taipei.

Vinous - Neal Martin (97)

The 2017 Richebourg Grand Cru is a fitting end to a vertical that several attendees voted wine of the night. It has a riveting bouquet, very harmonious with Earl-Grey-tinged red fruit, forest floor and hints of crushed stone. Wonderful delineation. The palate has exquisite balance and poise, a little powdery in texture with gentle grip. Layered dark berry fruit with hints of bay leaf and cola build towards the finish. Yes, it does need time, but I would not begrudge anyone giving into temptation in the near future. Tasted at the Richebourg vertical dinner in Taipei.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (98)

(5-Star) The colour is a very rich deep purple. The bouquet is classical Richebourg, offering peonies compared to the roses of St Vivant. Gorgeously headily perfumed, with a balanced weight of fruit. The attack immediately shows a sweetness of fruit, a little touch of grenadine, some blood orange, for me this is well ahead of Romanée St-Vivant in 2018. Not just an extra layer of velvet, but ever more detail on the palate. Absolutely dancing, not sure if the king is allowed to disport himself thus. Tasted Nov 2020.

Wine Advocate (98)

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.

Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (98)

(5-Star) The same brilliant deep purple colour as the Romanée St-Vivant. The bouquet delivers extra depth, extra concentration of a deeper and richer fruit which has still retained a fresh element. A massive wine, almost Bordelais in its intensity, but not uncouth and still unquestionably en route to becoming a great bottle of Burgundy. Lifted at the finish, such suavity. Certainly, the fruit is ripe, even showing some sundried cherries, but the opulence is compelling not cloying. Drink from 2035-2050. Tasted Oct 2022.

At just under two hectares in size, this plot of land represents a rather insignificant micro-dot, producing a meagre 462 cases on average annually. Romanée-Conti is flanked on all sides by exceedingly grand and much larger Grands Crus, ranging from its mighty namesake La Romanée to the imperious Richebourg. From the sky, Romanée-Conti even looks to have been squeezed by its bulky neighbours into a perfect square sitting mid-slope with a barely-perceptible rise of 3-4 meters. 

 

The location of Romanée-Conti is one possible factor in its staggering excellence. Its tiny size sees it cover the absolute heart of the absolute best position in Vosne-Romanée. Its situation and gently sloping aspect ensure maximum exposure to daytime sunlight and heat - the grapes here generally ripen earlier than in its esteemed cousins which, in a cool climate such as Burgundy, enables the fruit to develop levels upon levels of flavour complexity whilst retaining acidity. Whilst the vineyard has occasionally been hit by hail, the great scourge of Burgundy, Aubert de Villaine has never once seen it blighted by frost or mineral deficiency. 

 

Those broaching their very first bottle of Romanée-Conti often make the mistake of forecasting the same qualities as other wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti but augmented. More of the power of Richebourg, more of the richness of La Tâche etc. This is a mistake. Entirely less dense and opulent than the others, Romanée-Conti is the platonic ideal of delicacy and intensity made manifest. The very finest and most elaborate tapestry weaves its way through your olfactory nerves, the bouquet of roses and tar fixes you like a blue eyed-stare. Romanée-Conti glides across one’s palate like Alexander positioning himself atop the fallen Darius’ throne - this wine is not interested in pleasing you, it wants its drinkers to bask in its glory.