The 2010 Richebourg is a kaleidoscope of black fruit, graphite, mint, violets and spices. It is a towering, statuesque wine that completely saturates the palate in all directions, seemingly at the same time. The 2010 stands out for its beguiling, totally exquisite aromatics. The trademark Richebourg structure is present, but this seems to be a vintage where finesse takes precedence over sheer power. Anticipated maturity: 2030-2060. I tasted the 2010s twice from barrel, once in the summer just as the wines were about to be racked and then again during my early December visit. On both occasions the wines were stellar. Like virtually all of his colleagues, co-manager Aubert de Villaine was surprised by the level of the 2010s given all of the challenges of the growing season. I could repeat everything de Villaine told me, but there is no better source than the man himself, so readers who want to learn more about the 2010 harvest may want to take a look at my interview with de Villaine on www.erobertparker.com. Overall, I am very impressed with the 2010s with the exception of the Corton, which appears to be a notch or two below the 2009. The 2010 that most greatly exceeds its appellation and historical level of quality is the Echezeaux. I also tasted the 2010 Vosne-Romanee Cuvee Duvault-Blochet but the domaine had not yet decided if the wine would be released. I will report on the 2009s in our April issue.

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The restrained and markedly cool nose displays an impressive variety of floral and spice hints that add a sense of elegance to the stunningly complex ripe dark berry fruit and plum aromas. While this is almost always a muscular and at times even robust wine young, in 2010 it offers a truly remarkably sophisticated mouth feel because like the RSV, the tannins are refined and fine-grained. Moreover, there is the same knockout complexity that the nose displays on the intensely mineral-driven finish and overall, this is a complete wine of simply fantastic length. It also offers a completely different, and much more masculine, experience than the RSV. I can't wait to try both in 15 to 20 years. Note that this is evolving glacially and I have extended my suggested drinking window by several years.

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