Romanée Saint Vivant, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 1990

Extremely rich and ripe with explosive aromas of Vosne spice, earth and only a touch of secondary nuance followed by big, indeed even robust flavors that show good muscle but no rusticity and while this displays only a bit of the classic RSV velvet, this character will undoubtedly become more pronounced with age as there is plenty of mid-palate density. Quite long and still very much of a baby, the '90 RSV is most promising. I would try again in 2010 but this will live for 30 years, perhaps longer. Multiple and consistent notes.| Tasted: Mar 08, 2008 Drink: Try from 2010+

The DRC's Romanee St.-Vivant is a tough wine to evaluate. I found the 1990 to have a pervasive earthy, cinnamon, clove, sweet fruit-scented nose intermingled with scents of spicy new oak. Although closed, the wine exhibits great depth, medium to full body, and copious quantities of hard tannins in the long, structured, austere finish. It requires a patient buyer. Anticipated maturity: 1999-2015.

The DRC 1990s, all of which were bottled in April/May, are among the deepest colored wines from this domaine that I have tasted in the last decade. Moreover, they are firmly structured, with significant tannins from both the vintage and from the aging in 100% new oak barrels. For the fortunate few who have had the discretionary income to afford the other great vintages of the DRC from the eighties, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1988, and 1989, the question is - are the 1990s superior? I am not sure they are any better than the 1980s, 1985, and 1988s, but they undoubtedly represent a classic, concentrated, long-lived style of wine. Moreover, all of these wines should have a more graceful evolution and broader window of drinkability than the tannic 1988s, as well as potentially greater longevity than the succulent and opulent 1985s. All of these offerings are outstanding, with that tell-tale complex, exotic fragrance that the DRC routinely achieves.