1999 Romanee St Vivant
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Tasting notes
The 1999 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru has such a decadent bouquet that, tasting it blind (as was the case here), one could assume it was courtesy of Domaine Leroy. But it’s fooling with you. Within two or three minutes, that opulence recedes to reveal a truly captivating bouquet of vivacious, comely black and blue berry fruit that, unlike Leroy, evolves a marine aroma of shucked oyster shells and kelp, a facet that did not manifest during the 1999 DRC horizontal. The finely sculpted palate presents a backbone of super-fine tannin, a perfect bead of acidity, seamlessly integrated oak and a plushness that is the leitmotif throughout the 1999 Côte de Nuits. This is an irresistible femme fatale of a wine that will give two or three decades of pleasure. Tasted at the DRC/Leroy comparative dinner in Hong Kong.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
An absolutely stunning wine, the 1999 Romanée St. Vivant is also deeply informed by vintage. Layers of flavor burst from the glass in all directions in a wine that captures the essence of Romanée St. Vivant. At times delicate and refined, while at others a wine of structure, the St. Vivant dazzles with its complexity and nuance. Clean veins of underlying minerality support the vibrant, saline finish in a breathtaking Burgundy endowed with superb depth. The first DRC wine I ever tasted was a Romanée St. Vivant, so this wine has always been a sentimental favorite. The 1999 is a stunner.
The 1999 Romanee-St-Vivant initially has its nose put out of joint by the precocious 1999 Echezeaux, but allowing the wine to unfold over 30 to 40 minutes, it shows its true breeding. Returning after ten minutes, the nose positively explodes from the glass with a sorbet-like purity – hints of wild strawberry, cassis and a little blueberry – a piercing intensity that is wondrous to behold. The palate is medium-bodied and does not have the volume of the 1999 Echezeaux, but there is superior clarity and focus, the tannins clearly fine and the finish shimmering with tension and femininity. This is just a beautiful wine that will only get better. Drink 2016-2030.
About the producer
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or simply “DRC” is without doubt the most famous domaine in Burgundy and one of the most famous producers on earth. The Grand Cru vineyard from which it takes its name produces the world’s most expensive wine by a long margin.