1998 Domaine Anne Gros, Richebourg Grand Cru

Full ruby-red. Extraordinarily subtle, perfumed nose combines crushed dark berries, faded rose and white pepper. Penetrating, precise, and primary, yet almost miraculously round and supple. Great pungent intensity and juiciness of flavor. At once ethereal and sensual. This would coat even more of the mouth if there were any surfaces left to coat. Finishes with great subtle persistence. Utterly complete and elegant grand cru. Shows even more backbone today than the '98 Anne Gros Clos Vougeot and thus comes across as less fat.

The 1998 Richebourg Grand Cru likely made for quite dramatic drinking in its youth, but today, it comes across as rather stylized, its aromas of dark cassis fruit competing with lavish applications of toasty new oak that contribute prominent aromas of caramel, vanilla and spice. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and ample but not terribly harmonious, with unresolved oak tannins poking out on the back end. This was a challenging vintage, of course, but the 1996 Richebourg has not aged especially gracefully.