The 2012 Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru is majestic. I don't know how else to describe it. Deep and layered, with tons of palate presence, the 2012 is spellbinding from the minute it is served. All the elements are in perfect balance. The 2012 is a pretty powerful RSV that very much shows the character of a year with tiny yields. I admire its stature. Readers lucky enough to own it should be thrilled. The 2012 can be enjoyed now, but I would prefer to give it another few years in bottle. I loved the 2012 on release and I love it today, even moreso. Unforgettable. Tasted at a private dinner. -- Antonio Galloni

This is notably more elegant with its pure and exquisitely perfumed and markedly floral nose that displays a huge array of Vosne-style spice elements along with a trace of oak. There is an ultra-refined mouth feel to the equally pure, intense, detailed and lilting medium-bodied flavors that appear to possess a bit more volume than usual before culminating in a penetrating and intense finish that is also quite compact and linear at present. The underlying reserves of dry extract are undeniably deep and buffer well the firm but not hard tannic spine and overall, this is a wine of grace and harmony. It's interesting as the mouth feel is light, indeed almost delicate yet the flavor authority is remarkable; it is the epitome of what I like to describe as power without weight.