Romanée Saint Vivant, Domaine Follin-Arbelet 2005

An attractive and subtly spicy if understandably reserved nose features a mix of red and blue fruit aromas that merge into intense and youthfully austere middle weight flavors that offer fine complexity and very good if not truly impressive length. The tannins, while ripe, are very firm and almost tough and though this is certainly classier than the Bressandes, the Bressandes does a better job of being a fine Bressandes than this RSV does at being an RSV.

Transparent crimson. Pale rim. Candied red fruits on the nose. Sweet palate entry and a little bit of dustiness. Solid and a sure showcase of the vineyard even if not transcendental. Just a tad brutal on the end for the moment.