The 1999 Richebourg is simply majestic. In fact, 1999 may be a year in which the Richebourg is just a bit more complex than the La Tâche. Hoisin, smoke, exotic spices and rich, unctuous fruit flesh out in the glass. The 1999 has more than enough fruit to fill out its big, broad frame. It, too, will drink well for several decades.

The 1999 Richebourg Grand Cru from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is bestowed with startling delineation on the nose, displaying chiseled aromas of dark berry fruit, briar, crushed stone and just a touch of rose petal. Like the greatest wines from this hallowed vineyard, it possesses a palpable sense of majesty and aristocracy, the crescendo of aromas rooting you to the spot and making you almost kowtow in deference. The palate has immense backbone and structure; think of the Forth Bridge, if you will. And underneath the blackberry and wild strawberry fruit lie fathomless notes of cold slate and damp autumnal woodland. The energy coiled inside this Richebourg is wonderful. In lesser hands, such a leviathan could be oppressive, but instead, you are overcome with joy and revelry. Stunning. Tasted at the DRC/Leroy comparative dinner in Hong Kong.

(13% natural alcohol, rare for this domain) Saturated ruby-red. Knockout, utterly noble nose of black plum, blackberry, violet, minerals, earth and flowers, plus an exotic suggestion of blood orange. Full, suave and dense; manages to be utterly silky and precise at the same time. Wonderfully fresh and perfumed in the mouth. Finishes with great mounting persistence and purity. This has the purple flavors I associated with great Richebourg. This utterly primary wine will develop in bottle for a long time.

Practically black with a supersaturated multidimensional nose of black cherries, spice and trace of new oak. Bigger and larger scaled than the RSV and much more linear and direct, it is the richest, most robust wine in this lineup with decidedly muscular tannins. The flavor profile is somewhat austere yet the length is phenomenal and this could be the longest lived wine among these in '99. This has as much potential as any DRC Richebourg I've ever had.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 31/08/2001 Magnificent, the 1999 Richebourg has a saturated, dark ruby color. It explodes from the glass with loads of super-ripe, dark fruits, including blackberries, cassis, plums, and black cherries. This dense, plush, and broad wine has prodigious depth to its roasted red and black fruit-flavored personality. A myriad of spices can be found in its chewy-textured, full-bodied, highly concentrated, powerful character. Its extraordinarily long finish is dominated by fruit, yet copious quantities of sweet and supple tannin can be discerned. Projected maturity: 2006-2018.

Magnificent, the 1999 Richebourg has a saturated, dark ruby color. It explodes from the glass with loads of super-ripe, dark fruits, including blackberries, cassis, plums, and black cherries. This dense, plush, and broad wine has prodigious depth to its roasted red and black fruit-flavored personality. A myriad of spices can be found in its chewy-textured, full-bodied, highly concentrated, powerful character. Its extraordinarily long finish is dominated by fruit, yet copious quantities of sweet and supple tannin can be discerned. Projected maturity: 2006-2018. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661.