2016 Richebourg
By Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
2016 Richebourg from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Burgundy, France
A vintage such as the 2016 Richebourg from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti provides a remarkable survey into the confluence of human precision and nature's serendipity. Beneath the surface of this wine lies a canvas displaying the year's climatic challenges, transformed into bottled poetry by the venerated hands at Domaine de la Romanee-Conti.
Embracing The Elements: A Testimony of Terroir and Tenacity
The year 2016 in Burgundy was a vigneron's odyssey, a story of tumult turned triumph. A sinister frost in late April threatened catastrophe, yet, resulting low yields gave way to concentrated and intriguingly complex expressions of Pinot Noir. It is here in Richebourg where the alchemy of adversity delivers an exquisitely opulent vintage; an investment-worthy masterpiece from one of the most iconic domains in viticulture.
The Resilient Richebourg: A Tasting Journey
Grasping the glass, one finds an ethereal perfume emanating—a mélange of ripe red and black fruits backed by an earthy undertone. A symphony of structured tannins dances with dark cherry nuances, while wisps of spice and underbrush complete the olfactory tapestry. On tasting, the palate encounters a wine that speaks with authority yet whispers with grace; assertive in its depth but delicate in its touch—a paradox encapsulating the uniqueness of the 2016 Richebourg vintage.
Tantalisingly textured with an aftertaste that lingers long past expectation, this wine emotes its year's tale eloquently, capturing investors' intrigue like few others can.
In sum, those fortunate enough to hold or acquire a bottle of 2016 Richebourg from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti will have secured not merely a fine Burgundy but a chronicle of resilience—a narrative crafted by nature and narrated through viniculture that will resonate for decades to come.
Market price (GBP)
£33,370.00
12x75cl
Highest score
97
POP score
1962.94
Scores and tasting notes
Broader-shouldered and ampler than the Romanée-St-Vivant, the 2016 Richebourg Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a lavish bouquet of cassis, dark plums, candied peel, potpourri, Asian spices, peonies and smoked duck. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and expansive, with considerable depth and dimension at the core, and a gourmand, almost fleshy profile that marries beautifully with its cool, precise fruit tones and its velvety structuring tannins. This is a superb Richerbourg that to my palate surpasses the 2015 rendition.
William Kelley - The Wine Advocate, 4 January 2019