2011 Romanee St Vivant

Bottled in February and tasted at the domaine, the 2011 Romanee Saint Vivant Grand Cru has a sensual bouquet with tart red cherries and wild strawberry that is beautifully embroidered with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, slightly chalky tannin. There are hints of spice and cumin infused into the core of black fruit that segue into a delicate and refined finish. It will need several years to fully absorb that oak, but nevertheless this is a very fine grand cru. Tasted November 2013.

(aging in 75% new oak): Bright dark red with ruby highlights. Aromas of very ripe black raspberry, chocolate and pungent smoky minerality. Rich, sweet, dense and seamless; this will rely more on its sheer sappy concentration than on its rather low acidity for structure and longevity. Finishes rather powerful, with substantial dusty tannins. The pH here is 3.61 and the acidity 3.25 grams per liter.

A discreet if broadly spicy nose of violets and black pinot fruit is quite cool and pure. There is a fine sense of focus to the silky-textured medium weight flavors that possess seriously good depth and balance on the strikingly long finish. There is a real sense of harmony here and while the tannins are quite fine they are also dense and this will require at least a decade of cellaring to arrive at its peak. This offers very good if not truly sensational quality, at least not by the very high standards this wine typically achieves. Tasted: Jan 15, 2014. Drink: 2021+