2012 Richebourg
By Domaine Meo-Camuzet
2012 Richebourg from Domaine Meo-Camuzet, Burgundy, France
The 2012 Richebourg from Domaine Meo-Camuzet is a paragon of Burgundy's most venerated terroir—a testament to the delicate interplay between nature and winemaking savoir-faire. This particular vintage rises majestically, encapsulating a profound narrative of the season's climatic hurdles, vintage variances, and the undeterred spirit of its vintner.
A Vintage Crafted by Adversity and Artistry
As connoisseurs are well aware, Burgundy's 2012 season was marred by testing weather conditions—frost and hailstorms dramatically reduced yields. Yet, it is often in such strife that the alchemy of exceptional winemaking comes to the fore. Jean-Nicolas Méo, deftly working with the elements at hand, nurtured a wine resplendent with complexity and structure. Reductive in quantity but not quality, this limited availability inherently boosts the 2012 Richebourg’s profile as a collector's treasure and an investment-grade asset.
Tasting Notes: A Harmonious Symphony of Sensations
On the palate, this vintage is an intricately layered tapestry of dark cherries, ripe berries, seasoned by whispers of anise and fine earth. Aged gracefully, it reveals a maturity where supple tannins ensconce a core of luscious fruit—a paradoxical combination of power and elegance that only illustrious Burgundian soil can bequeath. One is serenaded by a finish that is as enduring as it is profound; a reverberating echo of the vinous odyssey that has transpired betwixt vine and bottle.
The interplay between the innate vigour of the Pinot Noir and the elusive magic of Richebourg’s terroir endows this 2012 iteration with undeniable charisma. Sublime in texture and composition, it appeals to both the sage collector seeking to diversify their portfolio with a wine whose reputation and scarcity conflate to enhance its allure.
To encounter the 2012 Richebourg from Domaine Meo-Camuzet is to partake in an epicurean journey underscored by resilience—a vie en rose in oenological terms. This vintage does not merely sit among its peers; it stands prominent, with its own tale of triumph and hedonistic pleasure—a compelling narrative for any fine wine investor.
Market price (USD)
$31,290.00
12x75cl
Highest score
96
POP score
1601.88
Scores and tasting notes
The 2012 Richebourg Grand Cru is reticent at first, but opens to reveal broody, saturnine black fruit infused with wild heather and minerals. Yet it remains a tight aromatic fist. The palate is very structured with firm backbone, very masculine, fine acidity with a very tannic, very spicy finish. This will need a decade in bottle at least. This is truly a vin de garde. Domaine Meo-Camuzet boasts one of the most enviable portfolios in Vosne-Romanee, crowned by Richebourg Grand Cru and Cros Parantoux, the latter essentially grand cru in all but name thanks to the late Henri Jayer, who decided that vines might profit more from the land than a few veg. I have been following the wines for over a decade and visiting Jean-Nicolas Meo’s cellar just down the road from Bernard Gros. Together we tasted through both his negociant and domaine bottlings, partly from pre-prepared samples and others directly from barrel. He told me he had been surprised at the changes in pH post-malo-lactic fermentation, possibly due to a precipitation of potassium that had made the wines feel rounder. Certainly some of the cuvees did have a certain “sumptuousness” about them, but for the most part that tannins were present and correct, lending backbone to offset the occasionally intense fruit. Readers should note that I took a video of Jean-Nicolas discussing the vintage in his cellars, so please access this for further insight. Importer: Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 29 December 2013