2013 Domaine Anne Gros Richebourg Grand Cru

Bright medium red. Redder on the nose than the Clos Vougeot, offering high-pitched aromas of cherry, raspberry and menthol. Combines terrific inner-mouth lift with a refined texture, conveying an impression of tension to the flavors of red cherry, minerals and flowers. The tannins are suave and cool. This seamless wine really glistens on the middle palate and long aftertaste.

Deep medium red. Ripe, sexy aromas of wild strawberry, rose petal and minerals. Dense and sappy yet weightless, with a seamless, sensual texture leavened by crushed-stone minerality. Offers compelling inner-mouth aromatic character and strong saline and rocky nuances to its very pure dark fruit flavors. Spreads out to saturate the entire palate on the very long finish, which features utterly silky tannins and outstanding mineral persistence. I find this riper and sweeter than the Clos Vougeot.

The 2013 Richebourg Grand Cru has a broody, almost curmudgeonly bouquet at first: blackberry, undergrowth, black plum and just a suggestion of hoisin all very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, black truffle and a touch of dried lemon peel; quite austere and distant toward the finish at the moment. It will need several years in bottle and one hopes it will be less...moody!