April 7, 2023 - 2012 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Richebourg. My wife and I paired this with a tasting menu in our “pre anniversary” dinner. It’s always a treat drinking DRC! This took some time to fully open and was a powerful beast but lithe and ethereal. Classic DRC stemmy nose with undergrowth, dill herb, pond moss, and even vitamin! The palate kept evolving around stewed strawberry, cherry, leather, Asian spicebox, caramel. This did have a touch of heat when it warmed so the sommelier chilled it which renewed it plus the wine was on the verge of closing and most open with 2 hours of air. 97/100 now with air but recommend holding for another 5 years. What an evening!
March 4, 2023 - beguiling ghost-like dill fennel light red cherry and dried strawberries rosemary creosote and iron.. surprisingly light bodied.. delicate and powerful.. had two sips 👹
July 6, 2022 - Tasted the wine blind. Again surprised by the finesse of the DRC wines...
Especially leather and red fruit in the aftertaste here. It's always a pleasure to drink the wines from DRC.
November 13, 2021 - Jumping floral and vitamin aromatics. Purity and length on the palate with precise delineation. Wouldn't rule out higher rating with time. (1569/7610)
May 4, 2021 - The first sniff reveals aromas of sandalwood, spiced plum and menthol. It is rich, sappy and deep in the mouth. Still quite compact and strict. There’s flesh held in check by the wine’s ample structure. Balance is superb and it has so much potential. Needs time.
October 4, 2019 - Aggressive stems. Needs time to integrate. Love the depth on this palate. (6887/7610)
April 6, 2019 - Yeah, as good as the Musigny was earlier this night, this is better. This is probably the best Richebourg we’ve had. Stunning quality and whole cluster galore. And totally open for business.
March 29, 2019 - Purchased off the LAGCC list for $1250, bargain of the century. Pop and pour, consumed over a 3 hour lunch. Bright, full deep red color. Soaring and complex nose of sandalwood, cherry, anise spice and bitter chocolate. The palate is deep and rich, densely packed, sappy and sweet, offering a distinctly three-dimensional texture to its intense dark berry, spice and truffley underbrush flavors. Complex but firmly tannic finish that shows a bit austere today but leaves the palate vibrating with DRC spice and flowers.This wine screams DRC from the nose thru to the incredible complex and beguiling palate. Outstanding and should drink even better in 15-20 years.
June 27, 2016 - During a tasting lunch in Spain. Oh boy, what a winner this bottle was. Medium-light purple, quite light for a Richebourg already pointing to an elegant offering. The nose displayed the tell-tale signature smell of DRC with notes of barnyard, red fruit, cranberries, spices, everything very subtle and in balance. On the palate this wine has power (more than the 2009 La Tache we had a day before), but remains ultra fine with excellent dry extract. Iron fist in velvet glove. The elegant structure and aromatic complexity are to die for in these top DRC's. A clear 100 Pts for me. If the prices of these wines were still where they were 20 years ago I would buy it by the dozen, no kidding. Wow, great to be able to drink this bottle with my fellow wine connoisseurs over a tasting lunch.
December 1, 2015 - 2012 DRC Tasting (Paris, France): Firmer and more reserved than the RSV. As expected, a bit more stern, robust and less finesse. This did soften after about an hour. More dark fruit, spice, touch of reduction and noticeable tannin. Touch effervescent. "Richebourg is the bodyguard of Romanee Conti" says AdV. Powerful and will need a lot of time. Sturdy finish.