2009 Romanee St Vivant

Not that much on nose except a serious intention. Bloody and nerve. Very very youthful. A bit of hazelnut on the nose. Energy and seriousness. This is grave grand cru stuff – takes itself very seriously. Very long and hidden. But great density. Finesse. Really great polish. Savoury. (JR)

The 2009 Romanee St. Vivant flows with layers of silky red berries, flowers and spices. It is totally sensual and inviting from start to finish. The tannins are barely perceptible given sweetness, perfume and sheer radiance of the fruit. This is dazzling juice. Anticipated maturity: 2019+. This was my first opportunity to taste the 2009s from Domaine Leroy in bottle. Lalou Bize-Leroy was among the first, if not the first, to bottle her 2009s, so she naturally wanted to give the wines some time to recover before showing them. The wines are stunning. Readers who have an opportunity to taste them should not hesitate. As always, the style is one of textural richness and depth, but the2009s appear to have excellent underlying material as well. The attention to every detail at the Domaine is quite evident in these thrilling wines. My visit ended with a sample of the 2010 Chambertin from barrel. Why not go straight to the top? If that wine is representative of the year, Leroy fans will have another superb vintage to look forward to, although yields will be lower than the already minuscule production. Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040

The 2009 Romanee St. Vivant flows with layers of silky red berries, flowers and spices. It is totally sensual and inviting from start to finish. The tannins are barely perceptible given sweetness, perfume and sheer radiance of the fruit. This is dazzling juice. Anticipated maturity: 2019+. Sep 2011, www.robertparker.com