1998 Richebourg

A wonderfully spicy and now fully mature nose (though with no secondary character) that features earth and dark berry fruit merges into rich, full and velvety big-bodied flavors that display ample finishing power and length. There are still firm tannins though it's unlikely that they will age at the same pace as the fruit, which is why I would suggest drinking this now and over the next 10 years as the structure will eventually become drying. That said, the complexity and velvety mouth feel make for an attractive combination. Note that this would be best with food because the firm, but not aggressive, tannins are less evident with something to buffer them.

The 1998 Richebourg Grand Cru from Domaine A.F. Gros was a demonstration of how much the wines have improved in recent years. It has a rather static nose with black fruit, leather and sous-bois, the aromatics not "flowing" like its peers. The palate is medium-bodied but quite oaky and unlike some coeval examples from cousin Anne Gros, the oak seems to be singing from a different hymn book and is not well integrated with the fruit. It is a pleasurable Pinot Noir, but I would spend my pennies on more recent vintages than older examples. Nov 2015, www.robertparker.com