Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2011 from Domaine de l’Arlot is turning out to be a stunning grand cru. It has a straight-laced and yet brilliantly defined bouquet that is all about precision over power. This is a classy nose – a gun perfectly aimed at the bullseye. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe filigree tannins, well-judged acidity and great depth toward the finish that still has a little unresolved oak to be absorbed. Give this ethereal grand cru another 4-5 years in bottle before broaching.

L'Arlot's 2011 Romanée St. Vivant is surprisingly dark, powerful and even somber. Today the tannins are imposing to the point of being dominant . The 2011 is going to need time to come together, but it has plenty of breadth and structure. I expect this will always be a virile style of St. Vivant.

(15% vendange entier): Bright red-ruby. Complex aromas of blueberry, blackberry, menthol, licorice, meat and leather perked up by a peppery nuance. At once high-pitched and seamless on the palate, with the peppery quality accentuating the very primary character of the wine's black fruit flavors. But this impressively dense, firmly tannic wine boasts a fine-grained texture and finishes with an exhilarating hint of blackberry liqueur.