2008 Romanee St Vivant
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Tasting notes
The 2008 Romanee St. Vivant shows the essence of crushed flowers, dark cherries, spices and licorice with a crystalline purity that is admirable. The tannins are refined and beautifully integrated. This should be fabulous in another few years. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033. Domaine de L’Arlot has been an organic estate for ten years. In 2009 Olivier Leriche began harvesting on September 7 and ended around the 15th. The wines were vinified with a higher than normal percentage of whole clusters and spent 20-25 days on the skins. I tasted most of the 2009s from barrel. Leriche planned to bottle the wines with no fining or filtration. I also tasted a handful of 2008s. The 2008s were bottled between April and July 2010 (a bit on the late side because of the lengthy malos) with no fining or filtration. Various American importers, including: A Daniel Johnnes Selection imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY, tel. (516) 677 9300; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; tel. (781) 278-2000; Triage Wines Inc., Seattle, WA; tel. (503) 236-6262; Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500; Ansonia Wines, Washington D.C.; tel. (202) 506-4215; USA Wine Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 941-7133
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright, full red. Subdued but pure nose offers redcurrant, raspberry, cocoa powder and minerals. Less silky and more imploded than the Suchots, displaying superb energy and precision to the rich dark fruit and mineral flavors. This too conveys an impression of tension and finishes with explosive length and lift. Forget about this beauty for at least eight years.
(this only finished its malolactic fermentation and was sulfited two weeks before my visit, but had been racked in September; 100% vendange entier Good deep red. Deep, vinous aromas of black raspberry, dark chocolate, pepper and crushed stone; more serious than the Suchots. Then tactile and densely packed, with a strong impression of extract to the blackberry, black raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Leriche says the SO2 is currently drying the tannins a bit, and that this cuvee is never harmonious at this early stage, but this already shows terrific sweetness and chewiness for the vintage. Finishes rich and deep, with a spicy, peppery piquancy.