1985 Richebourg

There is a lot to admire in the 1985 Richebourg, is a decidedly lifted, perfumed Burgundy endowed with striking aromatics, mid-weight structure and fabulous overall balance. The 1985 won't last forever, though, so it is best enjoyed sooner rather than later. Scents of orange peel, Campari, herbs and dried flowers add myriad shades of nuance. I absolutely adore bouquet here.

The Richebourg is enormous in an old, heavyweight style. It is a tannic, relatively closed wine, with a broodingly deep color, and sensational depth and length. It would be a crime to drink it before 1992-1995, and it will last two decades. This fabled estate has had a brilliant track record since 1978. Lalou Bize-Leroy and Aubert de Villaine seem to have everything tightly within their grasps, so it is unlikely that some of the lapses in quality control that occurred previously will resurface. I am sure they still cannot understand why their estate is so frequently singled out for malicious attacks, but no one should have any trouble appreciating the domaine's 1985s, which are their best wines in decades, even surpassing their sensational 1978s. The problem is coming up with the cash to finance them. The wines, aged in 100% new oak, are never filtered.