TASTING NOTES:
The 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was picked on 20 and 21 of September at 18hL/ha and contains slightly less whole bunch than the Domaine's other cuvées this year. It has a whip-cracking bouquet, one that just stops you in your tracks. Red cherries, freshly picked raspberries, wilted rose petal and very light loamy scents soar from the glass. No wonder this is poured after the Richebourg. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, stunningly vibrant red berry fruit, hints of tobacco and graphite that percolate through with time in the glass. It fans out gloriously towards the finish. Awesome length. What distinguishes this from the Richebourg is the tension throughout from start to finish. Heavenly. 1,351 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in bottle tasting in London.
- Vinous, 98 pts.
The 2019 Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru wafts from the glass with breathtaking aromas of raspberries and strawberries mingled with bergamot, Indian spices, peonies and rose petals. Full-bodied, vibrant and perfumed, it's finer boned than the more muscular Grands-Échézeaux, with a bright spine of acidity and beautifully refined tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Striking for its purity and elegance, my handwritten notes include the phrase "pure sensuality."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 pts.
Less flashy than the Richebourg, this is already showing a wonderfully precise, concentrated and pure core. Tannins are evident but are so fine they caress the palate. Intense dark fruit blossoms as the wine breathes, putting on extra weight and finishing with some red cherry and redcurrant hints on the finish. Surprisingly approachable, this will also be a wine to savour and contemplate in future decades. With 1,351 cases made, this is the largest production of any of the DRC wines. However, the yield was only 18hl/ha.
- Decanter, 97 pts.
