2012 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
(totally destemmed but the stems were then added back for the vinification): Bright medium red. Knockout nose combines strawberry, raspberry, licorice, underbrush, spices and flowers. Plush and sweet but electric in the mouth, conveying terrific concentration to its sappy red fruit and spice flavors. The stems have contributed piquant energy but no herbacity. Finishes with firm but fine tannins and terrific building length. Made from a crop level of about 25 hectoliters per hectare, this wine should blossom beautifully in the cellar.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Iodine, mineral, smoky nose – really come-hither. Juicy red fruit, smoky spices. Just enough tannic bite to give a snappy but not harsh finish. Excellent. (RH)
Bright full red. Great chalky lift to the aromas of raspberry, cocoa powder and Oriental spices. Like liquid silk in the mouth, conveying an impression of powerful intensity without any undue weight. Brisk, sappy flavors of pomegranate, cranberry, blood orange and fresh herbs show razor-sharp precision. The extraordinary cut here verges on bitterness. A wine of extraordinary verve, finishing with great palate-staining perfume. Leaves intense aromas of blueberry, blackberry and violet in the empty glass. Charles van Canneyt told me that he actually forgot to leave some whole clusters, so he ended up adding back about 45% of the stems for the fermentation.
The 2012 Romanée St. Vivant screams of pure beauty. A classic RSV bouquet laced with floral notes leads to bright red fruit as this chiseled, intensely perfumed Burgundy shows off its considerable class. Dazzling and intense, the 2012 is utterly captivating from the very first taste. Structure is implied rather than stated in a wine that captures the essence of this great site. In 2012, Hudelot Noellat's RSV is a clear stand out.
About the producer
Founded in 1962 by Alain Hudelot and based in Chambolle-Musigny, Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat is today run by Alain’s grandson Charles van Canneyt and has become one of the region’s most respected estates.