1993 Richebourg
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Tasting notes
Once again there is plenty of secondary character but no sous-bois present on the notably more elegant and beautifully well-layered nose that displays a really lovely array of spice, tea and wisps of sandalwood. There is fine volume, concentration and focused power to the big-bodied flavors that possess a highly seductive mouth feel before culminating in a mouth coating and still quite firm finish that delivers superb persistence. This is a Riche of contrasts as the mid-palate is velvety while the finish is robust and borderline chewy. Like the '95 while this should live for years, I doubt that it's going to be any more interesting than it is now. Note that I have experienced more than a little bottle variation with this wine as some examples have been hard and charmless.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Grivot's Richebourg is superb. With a perfumed nose of black fruits, flowers, and toasty new oak, and an intense, concentrated style, this medium-bodied, tannic, powerful wine requires 7-8 years of cellaring. Grivot's 1993s raise few questions as to whether the fruit will be present when the wines reach their apogees. Among the most profoundly colored wines of the vintage, they all possess opaque, saturated purple/black robes. None of Grivot's 1993s were fined, but they were bottled with a light polishing filtration. Much has been made of the fact that Grivot was a follower of Guy Accad. Because of that he has, in my opinion, been unfairly criticized. While Accad had influence over the winemaking, offering advice both in the vineyard and the winery, Grivot had full control over all aspects of his vineyards and cellars. Accad's presence in Grivot's cellars is no longer in evidence, as Grivot is one more client to abandon Accad's revolution. I thought Grivot's 1993s were some of the finest wines this estate has made in decades. Grivot's wines tend to be robust, rich, and generally ageworthy. That being said, except for the most concentrated vintages I would opt for drinking his wines within 10-12 years of the vintage. Certainly there is no lack of fruit extract in this domaine's 1993s. Importer: Chateau and Estate Wine Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 572-7725
This is developing nicely and has rounded out somewhat since the last time I tried it two years ago (see Issue 5). While this is certainly big and intense, it is still rather closed on the nose and reveals little other than a bit of subtly complex, very spicy fruit. The flavors are bright, intense and very long with good underlying finesse and length. Though the flavors are bright and offering some suppleness, this will still require at least another 5 years of cellar time but live for decades. A first class effort. Note: this wine has been difficult to assess as I have tried it on multiple occasions with almost random results, ranging from the bottle described here to two bottles that have been harsh and unpleasant. Allen Meadows, Burghound, Apr28,2005.
About the producer
A benchmark name in Vosne-Romanée, Domaine Jean Grivot is one of Burgundy’s most respected estates. They have an impressive array of vineyards, including plots in Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot, Echezeaux and Richebourg.