2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant

The 2001 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru has quite a deep hue. Intense dark berry on the nose, hints of orange rind and even a faint melted tar scent. This is a surprising showing for the normally transparent Romanée-Saint-Vivent - this is opaque and surly, yet the tannins are finely hewn. Backward in style, as I commented before, it is doing a delicious impersonation of a Richebourgh! I would afford this more time in bottle. Tasted at Alino's dinner at La Trompette.

One of the darkest and most impressive of the DRC 2001s. Mid ruby with some evolution. Serious, dense, intriguing nose – dry rather than sweet. Really quite powerful. Heady and now we enter into the magic kingdom of DRC! Very luscious and with some greenness still but with great fruit. Freshness and density. Dancing. The ripest and most complete. Broad, this wine spreads across the palate. Real sweetness, with delicacy. Long. Great life to this. (JR)

Mid ruby with a shaded rusty rim.  Light nose. A little skinnier than the 2002.   A bit pinched on the palate. Drying tannins on the finish. Chunky on the palate. Even a little dustiness and rusticity on the end. Certainly there’s no charm at the moment. But in the glass it developed an attractive fluidity. (JR)