2002 Romanee St Vivant

Herb-laced berries and loads of roses are found in the nose of the 2002 Romanee-St.-Vivant. This extremely elegant, superbly ripe wine is graceful, feminine, and offers superb mouth-feel. This floral, lacy work of art does not bowl over the taster with power, yet does so with nuance and refinement. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2016. Note: This estate’s 2002s are not yet released. The above estimate is based on the prices of the 2001s, taking into account that the dollar has significantly dropped. Importers include: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400; and Lauber Imports, Somerville, NJ; tel. (908) 725-2100

Dark red. Roasted aromas of black and red fruits, minerals and cocoa powder. Then almost magically vibrant and detailed for such a ripe wine, with superb inner-mouth energy and suave texture. Extremely fine-grained but solidly structured wine, finishing with noble tannins, palate-coating flavor and great clarity. Lalou Bize considers this classier than the 1999 version.