Just as it was last year, this is also very shut down at present though vigorous swirling coaxes superbly elegant and pure aromas that are wonderfully broad and include red, black, blue and violet aromas as well as seemingly a full cupboard of Asian spices that complement to perfection the extremely rich, full and sweet flavors that are quite floral in the mouth, all wrapped in a detailed and punchy finish where the tannic spine is completely buried. While it sounds moderately odd to describe it this way, there is a swagger to the '05 Riche and this will clearly be one very long distance runner. The other aspect that is notable is how intensely mineral-driven the '05 Riche is and interestingly, this seems almost delicate next to the opulence of the RSV. Indeed it's as though the Riche and RSV have exchanged personalities! A (very high level) qualitative choice but believe me when I say that the underlying characters of these two wines couldn't be more different. Allen Meadows, Burghound Jan01,2008
Allen Meadows, BurghoundScore: 97/100
The 2005 Richebourg suggests lightly cooked cherry, lilies, and vanilla-chocolate pot de creme, coming onto the palate with a gentle wave of creamy fruit, almost shockingly open-knit and youthfully generous. Low-toned richness of salted beef broth and a hint of wet stone add hints of gravitas, but despite ample (refined) tannins, there is nothing to restrain a veritable gushing of ripe, juicy, sweet finishing fruit. This might close up for a time, but these early indications suggest one ought to revisit it in 3-5 years and expect it to offer much earlier enjoyment than the Grands-Echezeaux or Romanee-St.-Vivant. Once the grapes in these fabled vineyards had reached a potential alcohol of 13%, reports Aubert de Villaine, he was ready to pick, because conditions had seldom been so conducive to perfect ripeness (including that of the stems). It was all done in a week, commencing with La Tache and Romanee Conti, and finishing on September 23 with Romanee-St.-Vivant (and Montrachet, on which I shall report at a future date). De Villaine intended to bottle in March or April by gravity in six-barrel lots, as has become general practice here over the past decade. David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate # 170
The Wine AdvocateScore: 94-95/100
The 2005 Richebourg suggests lightly cooked cherry, lilies, and vanilla-chocolate pot de creme, coming onto the palate with a gentle wave of creamy fruit, almost shockingly open-knit and youthfully generous. Low-toned richness of salted beef broth and a hint of wet stone add hints of gravitas, but despite ample (refined) tannins, there is nothing to restrain a veritable gushing of ripe, juicy, sweet finishing fruit. This might close up for a time, but these early indications suggest one ought to revisit it in 3-5 years and expect it to offer much earlier enjoyment than the Grands-Echezeaux or Romanee-St.-Vivant. Apr 2007, www.robertparker.com
David Schildknecht, VinousScore: 94-95/100
Burgundy / France