(Hudelot-Noellat Romanée Saint-Vivant) Medium ruby-red colour with a hint of amber at the rim. A very deep, wide, earthy and impressive nose. Mouthfilling, still with plenty of drying tannin. Given the nose and structure this slips disappointingly unobtrusively into the finish - but it’s one very long, if slightly oaky finish! In the end the astringent (though ripe) tannins dominate the mid-palate and finish a little too much for current enjoyment. Taking stock there’s a modicum of maturity on the nose and surely a great grand cru nose at that. If the nose hints at maturity the palate is way too young; it’s concentrated and long but the structure is dominant today. When the palate catches up I think this will be a stunning bottle.
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By John Gilman
(Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-St.-Vivant) Login and sign up and see review text.May/Jun 2006, Issue #3, Romanée-St.-Vivant: Refined Elegance Searches for a Place in the Modern World