"The 'Robe', or color, is feminine, the nose masculine. The mouth is full of life with an incomparable richness, a generosity which is sometimes overwhelming. To the eye, everything depends on the vintage and the age of the bottle. A Richebourg can be a velvety ruby colour or a dark nocturnal red, shading towards blackish purple. The color is always intense and dense, luminous and shot through with gleams of carmine. To the nose, when young, this wine reveals aromas of musk and Russian leather, with touches of sandalwood. With age it acquires scents of hawthorn and peachblossom. Two aromatic families can be distinguished: hints of lichen, woodland undergrowth and mushrooms on the one hand, on the other the scent of cherries, blackcurrants, cooked or preserved fruits. In the mouth, when young this wine positively explodes, intense and violent. It needs to be allowed to age for several years, in the course of which will become expansive and warm. Elegant and racy, it is capable of a long life, and wines from the great vintages are superb, the very image of sensuous pleasure. They occasionally have more finesse than structure, but may conversely be massively fruity and enthusiastic, compact and muscular in temperament.
Ben’s Recommendation:
At Wine More Cellars, this is an exceptional cellar-worthy Burgundy for collectors seeking a serious expression of Richebourg with both immediate detail and long-term ageing potential. Best approached with extended decanting in its youth or cellared for further complexity over the next 15–25 years. A superb match for roast duck, Wagyu beef, game dishes or mushroom-based cuisine.
