2003 - Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru, Faiveley

Deep medium red. Wild, very reduced nose offers raspberry, mocha and flowers. Dense and thick but initially mute owing to the reduction; obviously huge, broad, chewy and rich. Finishes with very sweet, thoroughly buffered tannins and hints of spices and blood orange. I followed this wine for 72 hours as it slowly absorbed oxygen. By day three it was a deep ruby-red color and showed spectacular aromas of black raspberry, strawberry, mocha and minerals, and a compelling velvety texture achieved by very few 2003s, with no lack of underlying acidity. While superripe it is not at all cooked, and it shed 90% of its reductive quality. But this will require at least a decade of cellaring.