Richebourg, Domaine Leroy 1993

Compared to the reserved and brooding wine that I last saw some nine years ago, this has become quite expressive with a simply stunning nose of spice, blue and black pinot fruit and warm earth nuances leading to seductive, broad and powerful flavors that offer superb depth and intensity plus stupendous length. This is dripping with velvet as the concentrated sap that seemingly suffuses every aspect of the wine. While I appreciate that it sounds contradictory, this is discreetly opulent and yet never loses its remarkable sense of balance and finesse. While this could certainly be approached now and with plenty of enjoyment, it seems relatively clear that based on this most recent bottle that the '93 Riche has not quite yet arrived at its peak though it's not far off either. The good news is that once it arrives at peak drinkability that it should remain there for another 50 years as it is that concentrated. In a word, brilliant.

The hugely spicy nose of the medium-to-dark ruby-colored 1993 Richebourg has fresh herbs and red fruits intermingled throughout its intricate aromatics. It is an extraordinary 1993, with the expected firm, highly present tannins, but an unexpectedly massive dose of dense, deep black fruit. Built for the long haul, it may well have the capacity to be a forty year wine. Projected maturity: 2010-2020+.