2003 Richebourg

(with thanks to Dr. Reed Day). An impressively fresh and solidly complex nose where the toasty oak that this displayed early on has largely, if not completely, been absorbed, allowing the aromas of earth, plum, mocha and spicy black pinot fruit to now have center stage. The incredibly rich and opulent flavors have become more restrained as some of the baby fat has melted away though the original notes of tea and leather and still present. Overall, this remains a big, rugged and borderline rustic effort that possesses a powerful, indeed muscular finish that simply goes on and on. One thing that is clear though is that my initial suggested drinking window of 2013+ was overly optimistic and I have moved it back five years and even that may be on the wishful thinking side as well.

Full ruby-red. As ripe as this is on the nose, there's a lively floral lift to the blackberry and cocoa powder aromas. Sweet on entry, then superconcentrated, large-scaled and full, with densely packed flavors of black fruits and minerals. This rather massive wine builds slowly and coats every nook and cranny of the palate. Finishes with big but thoroughly ripe tannins and superb persistence. A powerfully structured Richebourg that may well merit an even higher rating with seven or eight years of cellaring.

Good ruby-red. Dee p, perfumed aromas of black raspberry and chocolate. Lush, sweet and fine-grained; really saturates the palate with flavors of raspberry, bitter chocolate, licorice and spices. More serious and backward today than the Clos Vougeot but with outstanding potential. Finishes with dusty tannins and excellent length.