1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru

The 1990 Richebourg Grand Cru is a wine that I have been fortunate enough to taste three times before. It has a “spherical” nose, if you can picture that, and inside the sphere is copious red fruit laced with hints of traditional Japanese green tea, undergrowth and ferrous scents, as if part of this Richebourg was forged by a blacksmith. The palate is, as always, hugely powerful and yet paradoxically refined, with a smoothness that makes you feel giddy. It builds and builds in the mouth, revealing incredible volume toward the bravura finish. Immense. Tasted at the DRC/Leroy comparative dinner in Hong Kong.

The last time that I drank the 1990 Richebourg Grand Cru from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was at the domaine in 2010. Five years on it remains a lovely Richebourg. Clear and quite deep in color, the bouquet remains "ethereal" with crushed strawberries and pomegranate fruit intermixed with iron, black truffle and a touch of pain d'épices. It is understated at first ,but after 30 minutes it had manifested the sense of grandeur you expect from a Richebourg. The palate is beautifully balanced with great depth and volume. There is that hint of black truffle coming through once more, as well as sour cherries, a hint of blueberry and an almost viscous, decadent finish that not so much caresses the sense but gives it a good "seeing to." This is probably the best bottle that I have tasted, and it should have another 20-30 years of pleasure to give. Tasted September 2016.

Sadly, the 1990 Richebourg is flawed. The dried-out flavors, slender construction and metallic finish are all uncharacteristic of both this wine and vintage. This is a disappointing bottle. Over the years, I have had mixed experiences with the 1990 Richebourg.