2008 Richebourg

Meo-Camuzet’s 2008 Richebourg strikes me as their most obviously tannic wine of the vintage, despite the confitured intensity and plush richness of its black fruits. The effect of wood – whether or not this includes amplification of tannin – comes out here in a flattering way via a maple syrup-like amalgam of resin and caramel. Sweet, decadent floral perfume; brown spices; and crushed stone add palate interest, though the staining concentration of this wine’s finish is at least as yet somewhat undifferentiated and accompanied by gum-numbing intensity of tannin. When racked, this was “explosive” reports Meo, and the metaphor of a bomb sunk into the earth and topped with sandbags does strike me as potentially useful for a Pinot grand cru I would not want to touch for 5-7 years and which seems built to last for more than twice that long. Jean-Nicolas Meo emphasized the contrast between the low pHs of his 2008s (typical, of course, for this vintage in general) and the high pHs of 2007, which ironically – since the latter were given a higher dosage of sulfur as a precaution against undesirable bacteriological activity – led, he reported, to 2007s that showed a harder side initially than many of the corresponding 2008s. Given the high acids of 2008, says Meo, he preferred to let the fruit hang longer – even despite some shriveling – so that few of the musts were chaptalized and most were 13% or higher in natural alcohol. Typical for this address, the wines display admirable, even unusually strong sweetness of fruit, but in 2008 accompanied by prominent tannins and notes of new wood. Meo compares his 2008s with 2001 and 1996, opining that his wines from those two vintages have for the most part – in contrast with many 1993s – evolved nicely and without exhibiting excessive stiffness or hardness. I caught some 2008s in bottle and others from tank just before bottling, and the several 2007s I tasted alongside showed well, although Meo – in contrast with most growers – thinks his 2008 fruit was superior even in sheer ripeness. (Negociant wines – some from parcels the Meos in fact farm – are noted as “Frere et Soeur.”) Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524. Also a Jean-Marie de Champs Selection (various importers), French fax 011 33 3 80 22 58 25