Richebourg, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2020

Here the notably ripe mocha-inflected nose was restrained to the point that it required aggressive swirling for several minutes before it slowly revealed it cool and exuberantly spicy nose of pure cassis, black raspberry and a plethora of floral and exotic tea elements. The super-sleek and almost painfully intense big-bodied and muscular flavors seem to be built on a base of pungent minerality, all wrapped in a massively and overtly austere and compact yet long finish that just goes and goes. There is a trace of warmth though it's not enough to materially disturb the overall sense of harmony. While the Domaine's Richebourg is always built-to-age, the dazzling 2020 version is going to be a very long-distance runner.

The 2020 Richebourg Grand Cru is wilder on the nose, revealing aromas of rich exotic spices, wild berries, cassis, coniferous forest floor, smoked meats and a discreet touch of sweet saddle leather, followed by a full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping palate that's rich and layered, with huge levels of concentration and ripe structuring tannins, concluding with a long, violet-inflected finish.