Rare Wines

wines

First, a magnum of 1964 Hermitage La Chapelle from Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Lucid in hue, it sports modest bricking on the rim. Its initial tightness on the nose soon disappears to reveal layers of melted red berries, allspice and touches of wild mint, hints of potpourri/garrigues emerging with time. The palate is fleshy and displays exquisite balance, the vestige of fruit framed by filigree tannins, hints of strawberry and bay leaf as it fans out and deepens on the captivating finish. Format and provenance play a role here, yet it was undeniably Hermitage at its very best and at 58-years of age, one senses it has no intention of stepping off its high plateau. Utterly transfixing.Vinous Media | 97 VMA warm summer led to supple, low-acidity wines. This Chapelle reflects the vintage--smooth, silky and full-bodied. Less expressive than the ’66, but tastes rounder and richer. Melts on the palate as it delivers white chocolate, spice, fresh plum and freshly roasted coffee bean. Seems younger than you’d expect from a 35-year-old wine.--La Chapelle vertical. Drink now through 2005.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis fully mature La Chapelle exhibits a dark garnet color with considerable amber at the edge. Aromas of wood fires, smoke, leather, Asian spices, roasted vegetables, and meats emerge from the wine’s bouquet.Burly, brawny, fat, and full, with low acidity, high alcohol, and copious glycerin and fruit, this 1964 is initially sumptuous, creamy-textured, and spectacular to drink, but it quickly cracks up as it sits in the glass. I have not had much previous experience with this vintage, but I suspect it was close to perfect when drunk in its prime (the seventies and early eighties). However, it is clearly at the end of its useful life, and should be consumed ... quickly.Robert Parker | 93 RP

Even more aromatic than the 1982 DRC Richebourg, this rich, velvety, soft, somewhat loosely structured wine currently provides delicious drinking. There is plenty of the smoky, exotic, mineral, and oriental spice character that one usually finds in La Tache, but less grip and focus. Owners should move quickly to consume this wine.Robert Parker | 91 RP

(Château Latour (Pauillac) served from magnum) The 1983 Château Latour has never had a great reputation, and I probably had not tasted the wine since close to its release back in the mid-1980s. I was very surprised to see just how stunning the wine has turned out to be, given that Robert Parker only gave it 87 points back in the day. However, this particular magnum was absolutely stellar, offering up a deep, complex and classic nose of cassis, black cherries, dark gravelly soil tones, tobacco leaf, cedar and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with fine structure and grip, excellent gravelly undertow, still moderate tannins and a long, complex and perfectly balanced and classic Latour finish. This is a very, very underrated vintage of Latour. (Drink between 2018-2075).John Gilman | 95 JGA solid, firm wine with a tannin structure that is softening. Aromas of chocolate, ripe fruit and meat. Full-bodied, with loads of fruit and tannins and a long, long finish. Thick and chewy. Gorgeous.--Latour vertical. Drink now through 2010.Wine Spectator | 94 WSVery dried fruit on the nose that borders on raisins. Cooked fruits and coffee come through as well on the palate. Full and velvety texture with herbs on the finish.James Suckling | 90 JSThe 1983 Latour is a delightful surprise. It is a vintage that I had not seen for a few years, and I had just two vague recollections of an ordinary First Growth; this was far superior and unquestionably the best bottle I have encountered. Modest bricking on the rim. The harmonious bouquet is fragrant and well defined, demonstrating a little leafiness with hints of leather. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and a touch more fruit than I would have predicted, and laced with tobacco and pencil lead. Previously I lamented that the 1983 lacks vigor and vivacity. While this bottle is not the liveliest I have ever met, it has sufficient energy at 35 years to give much drinking pleasure. In a word: sedate. Tasted blind at Brat restaurant.Vinous Media | 90 VM

Bruno Giacosa, like Bartolo Mascarello, often told me he preferred 1986 to 1985. Of course, 1985 is the vintage that got all the press, while 1986 is remembered for a devastating hailstorm in May that decimated production. Very little wine was made that year, but what was bottled turned out to be quite good, and in some cases, better than that. Sadly, this is not a great bottle of Bruno Giacosa’s 1986 Barolo Riserva. The overall impression is of a delicate, lifted, fully mature Barolo. Only the memory of better bottles helps put this one into context, because taken on its own, this is still a very fine bottle of Barolo.Vinous Media | 94 VMAmazing fresh fruit. Loads of berry, cherry and spice. A beauty. Long and soft. Reviewed in a non-blind tasting. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 1990 Le Pergole Torte is deep, powerful and rich through the middle, but is also beginning to show the first signs of oxidation. The ripeness of the vintage comes through clearly in the wine’s forward personality. In 1990, Montevertine bottled their best 50HL cask separately as a Riserva. While that wine is epic, one can only wonder how much that decision may have affected the quality of the remaining juice. At the same time, this double magnum does not appear to be in the very best shape. My impression is that the 1990 is a better wine than this tasting suggests.Vinous Media | 93 VMStill all in fruit and structure. Dark ruby in color, with bright raspberry and earth aromas. Full- to medium-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long, caressing finish.--Montevertine vertical. Drink now through 2005. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe celebrated 1990 vintage was harvested by 15 October, with yields slightly higher than average yet perfectly ripe. The wine possesses a slightly cloudy appearance and some mushroomy aromas, perhaps derived from an imperfect bottle. However, the meaty nose sweetens in the glass to a floral bouquet with dark cherry, liquorice and white truffle notes. It’s full-bodied on the palate, with a velvety framework of tannins sustained by fresh acidity.Decanter | 93 DEC

The handful of critics that whine about Mme. Leroy’s wines all tasting the same should go to the trouble of acquiring and tasting her wines rather than repeating some of Burgundy’s most appalling and viscous rumors. The proof is in the pudding, as her intense line-up of distinctly different 1995 Nuits demonstrates. Leroy’s most profound Nuits is the benchmark-setting opaque and black-colored Nuits-St.-Georges Aux Boudots (250 cases). This extraordinary wine possesses an enthralling nose of wild berries, iron, stones and some intriguing saltiness. Explosive, powerful, elegant as well as velvety-textured and jam-packed with copious amounts of sweet red and black fruits, this is a wine of intense depth. It will be at its peak between 2005-2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-97 RPIn a class by itself. Earthy and a bit funky at first sniff, it fans out on the palate like no other Nuits ’95 we tasted, delivering a rich, ripe, supple mouthfeel that’s to die for. Layered with wet earth, dried flower, black cherry, violet and mineral notes. It kept improving in the glass. Bravo! Drink now through 2010. 242 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA lovely nose that is now almost full mature with spice and earth elements adding nuance to the now mostly secondary black fruit aromas that introduce sappy and mouth coating big-bodied flavors that possess good depth and excellent length where only a trace of the usual 1995 asperity is in evidence. This is quite an attractive effort that should drink well for at least another 20 years though it will probably always be best with food. Note that while it could easily be approached now with pleasure, for my taste it could use a few more years of cellar time.Burghound | 91 BH

Saturated ruby-red. Pure, highly perfumed aromas of black cherry, currant, plum, minerals, tobacco, leather and fresh herbs. Very ripe, suave and spicy; at once subtle and gripping. Lovely cabernet character dominating today. Very firm, long finish is youthful but not hard-edged. Showing extremely well.Vinous Media | 93+ VMThe 1996 may not be as profound as I had predicted from cask, but it is an exceptional wine. Dark ruby-colored, with a complex nose of dried herbs, Asian spices, and black cherry jam intermixed with cassis, it possesses outstanding purity, and considerable tannin in the finish. This classic, medium to full-bodied, traditionally made wine improves dramatically with airing, suggesting it will have a very long life. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2028.Robert Parker | 92 RPFully mature and drinking wonderfully well, the 1996 Château Calon Ségur has a classic nose of green tobacco, cedarwood, currants, and sous bois. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a wonderful sense of purity, polished tannins, solid mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. This is classic, focused, old school yet pure, balanced Bordeaux goodness. It has another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD(Château Calon-Ségur) Along with the 2001, the 1996 vintage at Calon-Ségur is one of my favorite from the merlot-centric era at the estate, probably because the vintage favored cabernet sauvignon so clearly in the Médoc and a bit more of this grape was included in the blend at Calon in this vintage. The bouquet is deep, vibrant and youthfully precise, wafting from the glass in a mix of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, dark soil tones, a touch of curry and a gentle framing of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and impressively tangy, with a fine core of fruit, currently a quite tightly-knit personality, well-integrated tannins and very, very good length and grip on the focused and still quite youthful finish. This is going to be a lovely wine in another eight to ten years’ time and should prove to be quite long-lived. I love to imagine what the current team at Calon would have done with a vintage such as 1996 today! (Drink between 2020-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGCurrant and fresh herbs. Full- to medium-bodied, with plum flavors and a medium finish.--’95/’96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

The 1999 Richebourg Grand Cru from Hudelot-Noëllat personifies the vineyard with some style. It has a stunning, pure, elegant and effortless nose that maybe expresses that essence of pinoté better than more than a dozen other Richebourg wines present at this tasting. Raspberry coulis, wild strawberry and cold stone soar from the glass with great focus. The palate is tensile, the red berry fruit laced with orange zest that lends vivacity and energy. To be banal, this is just a Richebourg so well crafted that you want to just drink it rather than intellectualize over its virtues. That’s the sign of a great wine. Drink from 2015-2030.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NM(Richebourg- Hudelot-Noëllat) The 1999 Hudelot Richebourg is much more together out of the blocks that the RSV, delivering a complex and compelling bouquet of red plums and cherries, milk chocolate, smoke, venison, minerals, herb tones, hints of forest floor and a stylish coating of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, lush and potentially quite opulent, with excellent focus and polish, packed with fruit at the core, and excellent length and grip on the moderately tannic finish. This does not quite possess the nascent complexity of the Méo Richebourg, but it matches it every step of the way for breed, focus and delineation, Another ringing success for the vintage. While this will be approachable in a few years, I would give it at least eight or nine years to fully open and start hitting on all cylinders. Fine, fine juice. (Drink between 2010-2040)John Gilman | 94 JG (aged in about 40% new oak, a bit less than in recent vintages): Medium red with modest saturation. Aromas of black raspberry, leather and earth are less pristine than those of today’s wines. Creamy-sweet and spicy in the mouth, with a slightly high-toned quality to its fat flavors of red berries, red cherry, underbrush and leather.Vinous Media | 93 VMClassic Hudelot style with its discreetly elegant nose of spice and beautifully proportioned flavors displaying outstanding richness and perfect acid/fruit balance. Very fine, very long and a Richebourg that delivers finesse rather than power though this is by no means a shrinking violet. In short, this is a complex, long and perfectly balanced effort that has largely reached its apogee.Burghound | 93 BH

Rich and ripe Pinot Noir, black in color, thick in texture, pumping out the flavors. Silky midpalate reveals the pedigree of this wine. Loaded with sweet blackberry character that goes on to a long finish. Drink now through 2010.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBright, deep ruby-red. Complex nose melds violet, bitter chocolate, earth, meat and a hint of medicinal austerity. Dense, rich and thick; a wine of compelling richness and sweetness, but also solidly structured despite its accessibility today. Finishes with lush but firm tannins and exhilarating notes of cassis and violet. Lovely pinot noir.Vinous Media | 92 VM(Gros Frère et Soeur Richebourg Grand Cru Red) Extremely ripe with powerful black fruit, wood toast and Vosne spice aromas with tannic, robust flavors yet good finesse on the long finish. This makes a firm statement and has good size to go with the penetrating fruit. (Drink between 2009-2016)Burghound | 90 BH

Readers looking for a modern day version of Latour’s magnificent 1962 or 1971 should check out the sensational 1999 Latour. It is a big, concentrated offering, exhibiting a dense ruby/purple color, and a classic nose of minerals, black currants, leather, and vanilla. The wine is long, ripe, and medium-bodied, with high levels of sweet tannin. This surprisingly full, concentrated 1999 should be drinkable in 5-6 years; it will last for three decades.Robert Parker | 94 RPFocused and fresh, with milk chocolate and berry aromas. Subtle and refined on the nose. Full-bodied and very elegant, featuring a solid core of ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. So much finesse here. Still tight, needing time in the bottle to open. No longer big, this is in just the right proportions for the vintage.--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Best after 2012. 13,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe 1999 Latour is a vintage that I have not encountered for four or five years. It has a pH of 3.80 and a yield of 38hl/ha, representing 58% of the total crop. Interestingly, this includes 14% vin de presse compared to the 9 to 10% used nowadays. It has a classic Latour bouquet of blackberry, pencil box and undergrowth aromas, quite strict and conservative in style, and fairly intense but not firing on all cylinders; orange zest aromas evolve gradually. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and nicely detailed, offering blackberry, black truffle, pencil shavings and a touch of spice toward the finish, which shows more grip and density than the 1989 Latour tasted alongside, probably because of that pressed wine. This is beginning to reach its drinking plateau, although judging by this showing it will give another two decades of drinking pleasure. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate.Vinous Media | 92 VM

(Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Richebourg Grand Cru Red) (with thanks to Dr. Reed Day). While this has certainly matured since I first saw it from bottle in 2004, the original note still largely captures the wine with its deep, complex and spicy old vine aromas that are slightly floral in character. This brilliant introduction is followed by wonderfully harmonious and quite powerful middle weight flavors that are beautifully delineated and perfectly balanced while delivering superb length. In sum, this ultra-pure effort offers reference standard quality with more refinement than young Richebourg usually displays - plus it's approaching readiness for prime time and could easily be enjoyed now though for my taste another 3 to 5 years would serve it well. Tasted twice in the last few months. (Drink starting 2015)Burghound | 94 BHModerately saturated palish red. Very sexy, open-knit perfume of raspberry, truffle, mulch and menthol. Not a powerhouse but boasts lovely retention of fruit and finesse, with its flavors of strawberry, raspberry, truffle and spices nicely framed by bright acidity. The tannins are still a bit tight but the firmly structured finish displays lovely rising spicy length. This perfumed but youthfully reserved wine should continue to mellow with further time in the cellar.Vinous Media | 92 VM

No written review provided. | 95 W&S(Châteauneuf du Pape- Château Rayas) The 2001 vintage of Château Rayas is one of the most youthful examples of this vintage in Châteauneuf du Pape that I have tasted in recent times and the wine still needs another five years of cellaring to really start to blossom. The youthful nose delivers scents of cherry, raspberry, fruitcake, Christmas spices, pepper, soil and a topnote of bonfires. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, ripe and soil-driven, with a rock solid core, moderate tannins and fine length and grip on the nascently complex finish. This will be an outstanding vintage of Rayas with a bit more bottle age, but even with extended decanting, the wine is still too young and bound up in its structure for primetime drinking. (Drink between 2021-2060).John Gilman | 93 JGThe 2001 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape is more structured and slightly deeper ruby-colored than the light-colored 2000. It also possesses more acidity as well as depth. This terroir-driven effort reveals aromas of raspberries and sweet kirsch as well as a medium-bodied, vigorously fresh, lively style. There is also good flavor authority. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and consume it over the following 15.Robert Parker | 92 RPMedium red. Nose initially dominated by meat, toasted nuts and orange peel; showed a lively raspberry aroma with aeration. Tight, dense and peppery on entry, then lush and silky in the middle palate, with strong pepper and spice notes. Less fruity in its youth than the Pignan, and considerably less showy. But this really coats the palate and lingers on the back end. Will require a good eight to ten years of aging, but will it be a very good or a great Rayas?Vinous Media | 91 VMThis vintage has not expanded as the great Rayas vintages do, but it has held steady, with supple notes of cherry compote, red licorice, shiso leaf and sandalwood, all laced with a hint of bay leaf. Keeps the house style, but doesn't show quite the depth of the more recent vintages, since Emmanuel Reynaud got rolling.—2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape non-blind retrospective (November 2011). Drink now through 2016. 1,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Good bright dark red. Lively aromas of plum, violet, espresso and underbrush; a bit more primary than the Suchots. Impressively concentrated, dense and sweet, with vibrant red fruit and spice flavors. Impeccably balanced, generous 2001, finishing with superb sweetness and breadth. This, too, should reward several years of aging but is fat and pliant already.Vinous Media | 93 VMThis too is reference standard RSV with its wonderfully seductive panoply of spice and fresh crushed herb notes that seamlessly merge with rich, powerful yet refined flavors that pack plenty of punch and length. The length here is simply phenomenal and this is without question the finest wine in the line-up. In short, this is a compelling wine that is endowed with the potential to become a genuinely great wine. Burghound | 92-95 BHFloral, elegant, silky. Full-bodied, a lovely red Burgundy, with smoke, blackberries, black cherries and raspberries swirling around, seducing from start to finish. Clean, pure, long, balanced finish.Wine Spectator | 91 WSSugar-coated creamy red fruits and flowers are found in the aromatic profile of the 2001 Romanee-St.-Vivant. Armed with wonderful depth of fruit, it is medium-bodied, silky-textured, and offers loads of red cherry fruit. An elegant, concentrated wine, it is well-structured and lengthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-93 RP

Surprisingly lively and fresh, this is still a seriously impressive wine. The high proportion of Semillon is now coming to dominate the Sauvignon, to give a wine that is finely shaped, full of creamy flavors of wood and some white peach. In 10 years, this will still be fresh, in 15 just mature.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEComplex aromas of blackberries, tobacco and cedar follow through to a full-bodied palate, with ripe, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very beautiful. Best after 2009.Wine Spectator | 93 WSGood ruby-red. Redcurrant, plum, tobacco and flowers on the nose. Suave and light on its feet, with excellent integrated acidity framing and extending the flavors. Classy and classic wine, finishing with ripe, building tannins. This would be perfect with a cigar. Today Delmas and Masclet prefer this 2002 to the 2001 Haut-Brion, but for La Mission they give the edge to the 2001.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

Produced from a tiny parcel of old vines (80-85 years old), the 2002 Clos St.-Denis explodes from the glass with delectable aromas of sweet blueberries and cherries. Medium to full bodied, it is broad, ample, expansive, and well-structured. Ripe blackberries, cassis, blueberries, leather, and herbs can be found in its flavor profile. This effort’s copious fruit envelopes an enormous quantity of ripe yet firm tannin. Projected maturity: 2009-2018.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP(Maison Louis Jadot Clos St. Denis Grand Cru Red) Much more deftly oaked with complex, elegant and beautifully pure red and black fruit aromas and sweet, deep, rich and mouth coating flavors that possess a spicy, powerful and extremely long finish. This is more understated than a number of the grands crus in the range though there is more muscle and punch than usual though about the same degree of structure. A terrific effort and the best since the extraordinary ’99 that should improve for up to a decade and last for another. (Drink between 2010-2017).Burghound | 91-93 BH(these vines are between 80 and 90 years of age, notes Lardiere) Dark red. Musky aromas of red fruits, chocolate and mocha, with complicating notes of herbs and underbrush. In a drier style than the Amoureuses, but with complex, well-defined flavors of red fruits, herbs and mint. Here one senses the vinification with the stems. Finishes with ripe, chewy tannins and lingering notes of earth, mocha and spice. An atypically strong showing for this cuvee.Vinous Media | 89-92 VM

Full ruby. Brooding, deep aromas of blackberry, black cherry, minerals, violet and earth. Pure, precise and superconcentrated, with uncanny density and strength of blackberry and floral flavor. This saturates the entire palate, finishing with very firm tannins, a lightly mentholated quality and great persistence. Will need extended aging to express its inherent complexity. The year for Chambertin," notes Martin Prieur, who added that the Prieur parcel is located in a "much less regular spot" (in terms of ripening) than some others. Potentially great for this cuveeVinous Media | 94+ VMThe Prieur 2005 Chambertin had been racked and returned to barrel when I tasted. Generous blackberry liqueur, cedar and roasted meat aromas usher in an almost implosively concentrated, severely black-fruited palate, underlain by charred meat and a veritable sauna bath of wet stones. This really grips in the back, but formidable tannins keep it from being much fun to taste, for all of its obvious ripeness. If you imagine Chambertin of Napoleonic compactness and ambition – even though some of the best 2005s demonstrate how full of flowers and finesse youthful wine from this appellation can be – then here is your emperor of a wine. I wouldn’t want to bet against it over the long haul, although that might be long indeed.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-93 RPStill very deeply colored. The still somewhat primary though nicely nuanced black fruit, spice and earth scented nose introduces big-bodied, rich and very concentrated flavors that brim with dry extract that also serves to buffer the moderately firm and lingering if somewhat monolithic finale. To my taste this has peaked even if only just and is a wine that should last for several more decades. With that said, it’s not clear that it’s necessarily going to improve from here. I found this to be perfectly good if a bit inelegant.Burghound | 92 BHI am sure that the Chambertin and Musigny chez Prieur are raised in one hundred percent new oak, and both wines were showing a fair bit of wood spice on the nose and a fair bit of wood tannin on the backend at the time of my March visit. The nose on the ’05 Chamby is a fine, meaty mélange of black cherries, cassis, woodsmoke, grilled meats, earth and spicy oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and focused, with a fine core of fruit, tangy acids, and plenty of chewy tannin currently in ascendancy on the long finish. I am sure that this will have no trouble eventually absorbing all of its new oak, but the question really needs to be asked as to whether or not the wine is better off for all of its new wood. As I tasted this I could not help imagining these fine raw materials with the terroir front and center in the same way that Freddy Mugnier’s Musigny is utterly defined by its refined soil these days. This is a very good Chambertin that to my palate could be unmistakably great with the new wood dialed down. (Drink between 2017 - 2060)John Gilman | 90-94 JG

The 2006 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts from Sylvain Cathiard really blossomed in the glass, unfurling to reveal notes of plums, dark chocolate, rich soil, burning embers and some savory and hard-to-define bass notes, its new oak nicely digested at age 12. On the palate, the wine starts out a little foursquare but opens up to become quite expansive, more taut and controlled than the 2005 En Orveaux tasted the following day, with fine-grained but not yet melted tannins, a deep core of fruit and a long finish. An excellent Malconsorts with a full decade ahead of it.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPGood full red. Darker fruits on the nose, complicated by minerals, violet and sweet oak. Rich and silky but at the same time minerally and firm; boasts impressive volume and texture but comes across as almost weightless. Finishes tight and youthfully closed, with superb mineral energy and toothcoating tannins. Lovely already but this should really be held for five or six years.Vinous Media | 93+ VM(Domaine Sylvain Cathiard Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru Red) A gorgeously layered and deep nose of spicy, and once again notably cool black pinot fruit seems to offer up a different nuance with each examination and serves as a classy intro to the supple, rich, round and strikingly pure mouth coating flavors brimming with dry extract on the hugely long finish that exhibits serious power. This is a big yet refined wine that remains the current reference standard for Malconsorts though, happily, there will be more serious competition going forward with Domaines Dujac and de Montille coming to the party. Impressive but note that patience will be required. (Drink starting 2016)Burghound | 93 BH

(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, Red) Good colour. Better than the Richebourg. Lovely nose. Pure and succulent. Ripe and round but fresh and vigorous for a 2007. Fullish body, ample and velvety on the palate. Good grip. This is complex and very elegant. Lovely finish. Very fine. (Drink starting 2016)Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St.-Vivant Grand Cru Red) An ultra elegant, pure and quite delicately fruited and spiced nose that is extremely fresh, floral and expansive that is more layered still as it introduces seductively textured, detailed and gorgeously delineated middle weight flavors that possess laser-like focus if less density than is usually seen with this wine. Indeed, this is rather like a ballerina with limited power and weight but the watch word here is purity, purity and purity. I quite like this but it will strike some as unduly light though I believe the underlying material is present such that it will add weight in bottle as it ages. (Drink starting 2019)Burghound | 94 BH(Romanée- St.-Vivant- Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) The 2007 RSV is equally refined and perfumed on the nose, as it soars from the glass in a beautiful blend of raspberries, coffee, cherries, a touch of cocoa, blood orange, great minerality and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is fullish, deep and rock solid at the core, with beautiful focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and simply profound intensity and grip on the very long backend. A stellar vintage of Romanée- St.-Vivant. (Drink between 2013-2045)John Gilman | 94 JGVery together, revealing pure floral, strawberry and raspberry aromas and flavors. Refined, balanced and harmonious, with the firm structure showing on the lingering mineral finish. I prefer this to the Richebourg today.--Non-blind 2007 DRC tasting (February 2010). Best from 2014 through 2030.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe Domaine’s 2007 Romanee-St.-Vivant predictably inhabits a different world – not to mention being in a different league of complexity and intrigue – from their Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, or Richebourg of that vintage. Peat, leather, humus, forest floor, and decadent floral perfume are joined by an oceanic saline, alkaline, kelp-tinged aspect, and these surf-and-turf aspects follow on a polished palate that – despite only the slightest nod in the direction of overt fruitiness by way of dark berries – nevertheless displays a mouth-watering juiciness to accompany its myriad mineral and organic complexities. A persistently satisfying and thought-provoking finish points to the likelihood of 12-15 years continuance.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Deserves its high score by virtue of power and sheer flamboyant dazzle. Packed with ripe, sweet cherries and milk chocolate, with a decadently meaty taste, like beef tartare. Oak plays the usual role, adding a caramelly, buttered toast richness. The tannins are brilliant, so soft and sweet, they're like candy. Drink this flashy wine over the next six years.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEBeautifully done in an ultraripe style. Gushing, with a jammy berry pie mix of wild berry, blackberry and raspberry flavors that are complex and supple. Full-bodied, gaining depth and richness on the long, persistent, tapered finish, which echoes black licorice, loamy earth and spice. Drink now through 2021. 925 cases made. — JLWine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard, from a vineyard at the base of Howell Mountain, is deep, sensual and powerful. It shows terrific richness in its dark cherries, plums, mocha, licorice and tobacco. This is a totally gorgeous wine loaded with character.Antonio Galloni | 94 AGThe 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark Vineyard has a medium garnet color and nose of cherry cordial, cassis and blueberry compote with fragrant earth, candied violets and crushed rocks nuances. The palate is full-bodied, rich, elegant and firm with a lovely graininess and bold freshness, finishing very long and earthy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

Domaine de La Romanée-Conti’s 2009 Vosne-Romanée Cuvée Duvault-Blochet is a wine that captured the essence of this precocious vintage to the fullest. Ripe, voluptuous and totally thrilling, the 2009 Cuvée Duvault-Blochet was in exceptionally fine form.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2009 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru is pure silkiness and refinement from the first taste. Rose petals, red berries, licorice and mint radiate on the palate in this gracious, totally impeccable Burgundy. This is a strong vintage for the Vosne 1er. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

A riveting expression of complex Cabernet, this is rich, loamy and layered, with pure, detailed currant, blackberry and black licorice flavors and firm, gripping tannins. Gains and sustains on the finish. Cellar-worthy. Best from 2014 through 2028.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with huge dark fruit, scorched earth, menthol, licorice and smoke. The first impression is quite positive, but then the persistence on the mid-palate unexpectedly drops off quickly, as if there is a hole in the middle of the wine. In this vintage, the difference between the second label M. Etain and Scarecrow is much less evident than in 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.Scarecrow’s 2010s are gorgeous, and also quite a big step up from the 2009s. For more background on the estate, readers may want to revisit my introductory comments in Issue 198.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with huge dark fruit, scorched earth, menthol, licorice and smoke. The first impression is quite positive, but then the persistence on the mid-palate unexpectedly drops off quickly, as if there is a hole in the middle of the wine. In this vintage, the difference between the second label M. Etain and Scarecrow is much less evident than in 2010.Antonio Galloni | 92 AG

(Bonnes-Mares- Domaine Mugnier) The 2010 Bonnes-Mares from Domaine Mugnier is a magically elegant and intensely flavored wine of silken refinement. The stunning nose offers up a beautiful mélange of red and black cherries, red plums, a touch of blood orange, brilliantly complex minerality, woodsmoke, gamebirds, fresh herbs and a violet topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, suave and seamless, with a sappy core of fruit, very refined tannins, laser-like focus and great length and grip on the succulent finish. Tout en finesse and the finest young Bonnes-Mares I have ever had the pleasure to taste from this great estate. (Drink between 2022-2075)John Gilman | 95 JGA more deeply pitched nose features plenty of earth influence but there are also soft floral and herbal nuances to the array of very ripe red berry fruit liqueur aromas. There is impressive concentration and an overt muscularity to the big-bodied flavors that possess plenty of power on the dusty, explosive and seriously long finish where the supporting tannins are very well integrated. There is first-rate complexity and this should amply reward 12 to 15 years of cellar time.Burghound | 94 BHGood medium red. High-toned, liqueur-like aromas of blackberry, blueberry and smoky underbrush. Densely packed and broad, showing the sappiness and great energy of the vintage. Black raspberry fruit is complicated by iron and mocha notes. The dense finish features slowly rising persistence and surprisingly smooth tannins. This vineyard was originally planted in the 1950s but Mugnier replanted about half of the vines in 1987.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2010 Bonnes-Mares comes across as a bit reticent. An expressive bouquet laced with dark berries, crushed rocks and graphite leads to a pretty core of dark red fruit. The generous, fleshy finish is the best thing about the Bonnes- Mares. As good as this is, it isn’t as compelling as I had hoped. It’s hard to believe I did not catch the Bonnes-Mares during an awkward stage. Today, some of the magic is missing. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.Leave it to Frederic Mugnier to take a contrarian view of the 2010 vintage. Mugnier is quite clear in espousing his opinion that not only is 2009 a better vintage than 2010, but that the 2009s will be longer-lived as well. His advice to me was to drink the 2010s now and cellar the 2009s. Mugnier’s highly personal take is also reflected in the unconventional order in which these wines were tasted. I have to say, it was quite eye-opening to taste the wines in a different sequence than is the norm, as it keeps the palate and intellect sharp. The harvest started on September 22. As has been the case for a while, the focus is on doing as little as possible to the wines once they are in cellar, which among other things means that new oak is now practically non-existent here. Readers who want to learn more might want to take a look at my interview with Frederic Mugnier posted on our website.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-94 RP

(Clos St. Denis- Domaine Dujac) I have a fair bit of Dujac Clos St. Denis in my cellar, but I cannot recall any previous vintage as promising as the 2011 showed at the time of my visit in November. This is one of the most elegant of all the grand crus in the Côte de Nuits and this has obviously dovetailed brilliantly with the style of the 2011 vintage. The stunning nose soars from the glass in a glorious mélange of cherries, blood orange, gamebirds, cinnamon, roses, beautiful minerality, cocoa, peonies and a discreet base of spicy wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and absolutely ethereal in style, with great mid-palate depth and nascent complexity, laser-like focus, suave tannins and magical grip and focus on the very, very long and very transparent finish. This beautiful wine already dances across the palate and it will be a legend in the years to come! (Drink between 2022-2065)John Gilman | 96 JGA model of elegance and finesse, the 2011 Clos St. Denis presents a hugely attractive fabric laced with orange peel, rose petals and sweet spices. The 2011 is an especially floral, lifted Clos St. Denis endowed with terrific energy and focus, while the mid-weight structure suggests it will drink well relatively early.Vinous Media | 95 VMDeep, profound wine with dark berries, cinnamon and spices. Velvety tannins and long finish. Terroir-driven, very intense flavours, amazing depth. Drinking Window 2018 - 2028.Decanter | 94 DEC(Domaine Dujac Clos St. Denis Grand Cru Red) Here too an adroit application of wood serves as a discreet foil for the more obvious floral aromas that enjoy added scope from the presence of pure, spicy and highly complex red and dark berry scents. There is an abundance of mouth coating extract that imparts a suave, even lush character to the very rich medium-bodied flavors that are an exercise in finesse and refinement while offering controlled power and outstanding length. A classic Clos St. Denis of class and grace. (Drink starting 2026)Burghound | 93 BHThe 2011 Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru is missing a little cohesion on the nose, rather loose-knit with broody, stony red berry fruit. Fortunately, it begins to come together with rigorous swirling of the glass and musters much better focus. The palate is medium-bodied with quite chalky tannins on the entry. There is a fine core of red cherries, pomegranate and attractive saline notes toward the masculine finish. It is more approachable than other vintages that I have tasted at this stage, but it deserves three or four years in bottle because there is a lot of potential here. Drink 2015-2025.I have been visiting Jeremy and Alec Seysses at Domaine Dujac for several years now, and it is always one of my favorite ports of call. Alec, looking surprisingly chipper for a new dad had taken time off nappy duty to guide me through the 2011s this year. I have to confess that I was concerned by the conspicuous nature of the new oak on both their negociant label wines and the entry Village Crus. I felt that 35% new oak tended to overwhelm the fruit and terroir and occasionally impart drying finishes, which is why my scores are parsimonious here. As I tasted through the range toward the flock of Grand Crus the oak seemed better assimilated, although I would still maintain that the wine is of such quality that the present level of oak risks being superfluous to requirements. All the negociant label wines were bottled before Christmas.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM