Jean Grivot Richebourg 2018 (750ML)

96-98 JM / 95-97 VM / 94-96 BH

Etienne took a moment to reminisce about the cost price of this vineyard back in 1984. You might have to pay as much for a single vine now as they did per ouvrée then. Maybe not, but you might only get a dozen vines. The 2018 has wonderfully gorgeous fruit - too easy to say, and in fact it is starting out quite tight for the moment. More red than black. Three minutes of sniffing to coax it out. Does it fill the mouth? Yes; What about class? Yes; Too ripe? No; Balanced? Yes, with intensity as well of course. Watch those boxes being ticked. Etienne speaks of the orient, vigorous and sensual, a bit of an old souk. Tasted: November 2019 Jasper Morris – Inside Burgundy

The 2018 Richebourg Grand Cru needed rigorous aeration to reveal its intense blackberry, raspberry and incense aromas; a slight dark chocolate element emerges with time. The palate is full-bodied and quite dense in style, as you would expect from this Grand Cru. Grippy and structured, with multilayered red fruit laced with white pepper and bay leaf toward the long finish. A substantial Richebourg, but one that also conveys a sense of grace and elegance. Excellent. Neal Martin – Vinous Media

Tasting note: A cool, restrained and even more layered nose requires considerable swirling to progressively coax the exuberantly spicy aromas of red and blue pinot fruit that is liberally laced with a variety of floral elements to reveal themselves. There is excellent volume and richness to the sleek and refined yet powerful flavors that brim with both minerality and dry extract that helps to buffer the firm but not rigid tannic spine shaping the strikingly long finish. This is terrific but note well that it's going to require extended cellaring to realize its full, and considerable, potential. Don’t Miss – Allen Meadows - Burghound