Richebourg, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2003

Violets, roses, raspberries, and red cherries emanate from the 2003 Richebourg. Full-bodied, deep, and hugely concentrated, it is muscular, firm and displays the firmest structure of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti's 2003s. Soy sauce, tar, chocolate, and dark fruits are found in its focused, audacious personality. Its impressively persistent finish is studded with highly present tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025.

This too is very aromatically reserved with only glimpses of spicy and exotic perfume that speak of very ripe, even slightly surmature crushed berries, plum and spice because even though the nose is reticent, the intensity of the fruit is magnificent. The flavors are opulent and sumptuously proportioned with massive amounts of sap and dry extract that completely stains and coats the palate before exploding on the hugely long finish. Yes, this is a big, indeed enormous wine but one that never loses its sense of balance and the velvety backend largely buffers the very firm tannins. There is not necessarily great complexity yet but this is the one wine in the range that could easily surprise to the upside as the raw material here is exceptional and while the style is clearly particular relative to what it normally delivers, it has that "wow' factor.

This too is very aromatically reserved with only glimpses of spicy and exotic perfume that speak of very ripe and tiny crushed berries because even though the nose is reticent, the intensity of the fruit is magnificent. The flavors are opulent and sumptuously proportioned with massive amounts of sap and dry extract that completely stains and coats the palate before exploding on the hugely long finish. Yes, this is a big, indeed enormous wine but one that never loses its sense of balance and the velvety backend largely buffers the very firm tannins. A great Richebourg of colossal quality that may indeed rival the awesome '62.