The 2009 Romanée St. Vivant has no beginning and no end. It just exists in the glass as a monument to the greatness of Burgundy. I could describe the aromas and flavors. There is plenty of dark fruit, mocha and exotic spices, but that would be a total disservice to the wine. The Romanée St. Vivant impresses for its weightless power and massive structure. It is not a seductive, floral Romanée St. Vivant. Readers can find that elsewhere. This is a wine that impresses for its depth, structure and sheer intensity. It is very Richebourg-like in many ways. I loved it.

(from a yield of 36 hectoliters per hectare, according to Leriche) Deep red with ruby highlights. Reticent aromas of raspberry, chocolate and nutty oak; not quite the high notes today of the Suchots. Then almost surprisingly bright and highly concentrated on the palate, with terrific palate-staining intensity to the flavors of dark berries and cocoa powder. A rather powerful, youthfully aggressive wine that really stains the palate on the long, ripely tannic finish. This is likely to require extended bottle aging. Leriche believes his 2009s are balanced for long-term aging. "But they're not overly big wines, and they should drink earlier than the 2005s," he added.