Romanée Saint Vivant, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2019

The 2019 Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru wafts from the glass with breathtaking aromas of raspberries and strawberries mingled with bergamot, Indian spices, peonies and rose petals. Full-bodied, vibrant and perfumed, it's finer boned than the more muscular Grands-Échézeaux, with a bright spine of acidity and beautifully refined tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Striking for its purity and elegance, my handwritten notes include the phrase "pure sensuality."

This was in a difficult place to taste a year ago in barrel. Quite a full dark purple on the nose, the fruit is notably darker on the nose, with more power than detail at first sniff. Some blacker fruit alongside the crushed strawberry, builds beautifully across the palate, sensual certainly and I am sure the sense of refined detail I look for in Romanée St-Vivant will come later. Very light coffee notes as well. Strawberries strengthen on the nose. Quite firm tannins at the moment, but excellent length.