Domaine Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru 1999

VM97: Interestingly, the 1999 Richebourg is quite a bit more finessed than the Romanée Saint-Vivant in this flight. There is plenty of Richebourg power in the glass, and yet the 1999 has an unmistakable aura of delicacy, in relative terms of course. Open-knit and inviting, the 1999 drinks well now, although it will surely improve with more time in bottle.

WA95: The 1999 Richebourg Grand Cru is very special, bursting from the glass with a lavish bouquet of raw cocoa, Asian spices, ripe plums, rose petal and potpourri. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and perfumed, with a gourmand, layered mid-palate, melting tannins and a long, beautifully delineated finish. In recent vintages, I've tended to prefer the Domaine's Romanée-Saint-Vivant to its Richebourg, but in 1999 it's the latter that has the edge.