Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 96
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 Romanee-Saint-Vivant at the moment, just wait ten years. 1,160 cases produced. Tasted February 2017.
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050
Vinous 95+
Full, deep red Wonderfully sappy, floral nose shows more red fruits than black, along with complementary oak spices Tactile, salty and sharply delineated, conveying outstanding lift to its classically dry flavors of red berries and spices Obviously a very young wine and yet there’s nothing brutal about it even today; in fact, this is more harmonious in the early going than the RSV The very long, broad, slowly rising finish really saturates the palate and resounds with sappy spices
Anticipated maturity: 2028-2042
Burghound 93-96
This is perhaps the most floral wine in the range in 2014 plus it’s even spicier than the RSV if not the La Tache with its Asian spice, sandalwood, dark berry liqueur and lavender-scented nose. Not surprisingly this is both bigger and richer than the RSV with excellent muscle and intensity to the mineral-driven broad-shouldered flavors that deliver stunningly good complexity on the impressively concentrated but seamlessly well-balanced finale. While this is certainly robust, the 2014 Riche displays a bit more refinement than usual at this early stage of its development.