2016 - Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Sylvain Cathiard

There are the usual three barrels of 2016 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru this year, two of them new. There is a brooding intensity here, not unlike a Richebourg, more backward than recent vintages that I have tasted, yet after a couple of minutes you are overcome by intoxicating floral aromas that envelop the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated black cherries, cassis, minerals and orange pith, the backbone of the Malconsorts with a very deep, quite grippy finish. Give this a decade in bottle if you can afford to wait that long, or if not, build a time machine.

Three barrels, of which two were new. Vines planted 1919. Deep bright crimson. Sweet oaky nose and a greater delicacy on the palate than heretofore. All in the black-fruit spectrum. Chewy tannins but all the fruit and freshness at the core to balance. Firm but balanced. Dark, savoury and utterly embryonic. Approach with caution. (JH)