The Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2009, tasted blind in Holland, has real swagger about it, perhaps more like the Richebourg in style. What I previously termed “restrained opulence” is being let off the leash and gently explodes with intense raspberry, crème de cassis, maraschino and perhaps even a dab of warm alcohol. The palate is full-bodied for an Romanée-Saint-Vivant with succulent, ripe tannins, crisp acidity and very decadent, almost candied finish that needs to show a little more finesse at this early stage. It is a magnificent specimen, although I suspect that the 2010 is even better and more crystalline.