The last bottle that I tried displayed a hint of reduction though there was none present with this most recent bottle with its intensely floral and notably ripe nose that features fresh notes of rose petal, plum, mocha and cassis that are sprinkled with exotic spice notes. The expansive and tautly muscular broad-shouldered flavors are, unusually, almost as fine as those of the RSV yet even slightly more complex with the same finely grained tannins. The length is similar but at present, the extra dimension of depth gives this the barest of edges. Either way, this chewy, robust and overly muscular effort is genuinely sensational and clearly built for the very long haul. 2034+

The 2009 Richebourg is a dramatic wine. In 2009 there is so much fruit that the tannins are barely perceptible. With time in the glass dark notes of tar smoke licorice and violets develop adding tons of complexity to the fruit. This is a huge vertical wine that captures the essence of Richebourg in its towering fruit and structure. Layers of fruit saturate every corner of the palate as the wine builds to a deeply satisfying crescendo of head-spinning aromas and flavors. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2059.