Pinosity.com focuses on one of the great sites for Pinot Noir, the Richebourg vineyard in Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy.

History…it’s just one thing after another

Most of Richebourg was owned by the monastery of Citeaux until it was sold off as a bien national in 1790. This was part of the nationalisation process following the revolution.  This process divided the vineyard among a number of owners, and by 1855 the list of owners included the ancestors of current-day owners the de Villaine family (M. Duvault-Blocher) and Liger-Belair. At this time (1855) Dr Lavalle listed Richebourg, along with La Tâche, Romanée Conti, La Romanée, and Grands-Echêzeaux, as the “têtes de cuvees”, above Romanée St Vivant, and La Grande Rue, and a number of current day 1er crus.  The Gros family holding (now split between three separate branches of the family) was acquired in 1882, and was in the Veroilles section of Richebourg. The next historically significant event was the addition of the Veroilles section in the 1920s, as noted below.

Size…it matters

Richebourg, described by Coates as ‘indisputably the best of the non-monoploy grand crus of Vosne, is made up of two lieux-dits, Les Richebourgs, and Les Veroilles-sous-Richebourg. The latter was formerly Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Les Veroilles, until the owners were able to convince the Court of Appeal in Dijon that it deserved inclusion, on the basis that it fetched similar prices, and had been sold under the name Richebourg in the past. This addition accounts for 2.98 ha of the total vineyard surface area of  8.03 ha. Average production is listed by both Coates and Remington Norman as 2500 cases, equivalent to just over 28 hl/ha.

Position…position, position

Richebourg lies above the village of Vosne Romanée, gently sloping upwards from the eastern border of the flatter Romanée St Vivant vineyard. The other neighbouring vineyards are Romanée Conti and La Romanée to the south, Les Petits Monts and Cros Parentoux to the west, Aux Brulée to the north-east, and Les Suchots to the north-west. The elevation is 260 – 280m, and the vineyard faces east. The limestone and clay soils result in powerful wine with significant ageing potential.

Owners…possession is 9/10ths of the lure

There are now eleven owners, with DRC the largest holder, with just over 3.5 ha, and Clos Frantin (part of the negociant Albert Bichot) the smallest. Leroy, three branches of the Gros family, Liger-Belair, Méo-Camuzet, Grivot, Mongeard-Mugneret, and Hudelot-Noëllat each own between 1/4 and 4/5 of a hectare.

Makers…fruit of the vine, and work of human hand

The producers of Richebourg provide a diversity of style and winemaking philosophy. The winemaking at DRC is well-documented, being such a famous domaine. Low yields, inclusion of stems in the ferment, fermentation in open wooden vats, with automatic pigeage, and matured in 100% new oak.  The DRC Richebourg often shows its backward, muscular structure when tasted immediately after Romanée-St-Vivant in the DRC cellars. Meo-Camuzet shares the 100% new oak philosophy, but is 100% destemmed, leading to plush, deeply coloured wines in the Henri Jayer tradition. Leroy takes low-yields to extremes, and the biodynamic management is a feature in both the vineyard and winery.

The wines…

The notes below are from a tasting in May 2009:

Anne Gros Richebourg 2005

Classic 2005 character. Pretty and floral on the nose. Rich and opulent, with a primary simplicity to the fruit, but lots of promise. The oak is quite prominent but a lovely drink nonetheless.

Anne Gros Richebourg 1998

Very pure and tightly structured. Bright cherry, with a Gevrey-like directness. Looks young for its 10 years of age. Classy, youthful, and a bit of a surprise ‘wine of the flight’ ahead of the 2005 and 1996.

Anne Gros Richebourg 1996

Quite developed, with soy, caramel, cold tea, and hoi sin. The palate is better than the nose, which shows some premature development. Lacks freshness and purity though, and looks 10 years older than the 98, instead of 2 years.

Gros Frere et Soeur Richebourg 2006

Quite shy on the nose, with mocha the main aroma. Smokey, mocha, seriously ripe and big oak influence. Liquorice and black fruits on the palate. Good, but has a chunky, dense, somewhat blockish structure, and it is a bit simple and oak driven at the moment.

Gros Frere et Soeur Richebourg 2001

Good concentration, with coffee and soy notes on the nose. Some mocha, cedar, and more unusual characters on the palate – sauerkraut, artichoke hearts. Drying out a little on the finish, but good intensity.

Domaine de la Romanee Conti Richebourg 2006

A clear step up in quality, and a wine that although powerful is “light on its feet” – there is no suggestion of heaviness. Lovely perfume, with lots of floral notes, and red fruits. Very silky texture, and succulent and drinkable despite being so young. Long and seductive and delicious. The structure is firm, but it is a sinewy strength, not a big ball of muscle.

Domaine de la Romanee Conti Richebourg 2001

Lovely perfume again, then meaty and spicy on the palate. Long and pure and intense, although a little in between phases of its life – the primary directness of youth is fading, and the complexity of age is yet to fully take over. Again there is a lightness of touch compared to the Gros F&S 2001. The palate is very even and long, and this will be even better drinking at around 12 years of age than it is now.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg 1990

A very youthful bottle in absolutely perfect condition. The tannins are firm and the wine is tight, and backward even, remarkable for an eighteen year burgundy (were the 78s this youthful in 1996?). There is a delightful combination of red fruit (cherries, raspberries) graphite, spice, violets, dried herbs, cut grass, and touch of cedar. Long, complex, and intense, with a long life ahead of it.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg 1985

This wine fit the mould of 1985 – rich, generous, fat even, with a softness and roundness that the vintage is known for. Sweet mid-palate fruit, an enticing wine that doesn’t have the power of the 1990 or the complexity of the 1978, but it is unfair to judge it by those standards. It is a purely pleasurable wine, with lovely ripe strawberry fruit, and a touch of freshly turned earth adding interest.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg 1978

A very lifted nose, with great life and vigour belying its 30 years of age. Spice, soy, violets, smoked hickory, and a bit of animal. The perfume runs right through the palate, and the wine has a dryer, more strict feel than the ’85. Resolved tannins. An amazing wine, majestic even to this republican.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg 1956

Our expectations were tempered by the vintage reports, which on the 1956 are pretty conclusive…apparently it was the coldest year of the century and a year to forget. However the wine, though not a great wine and clearly the product of a cold vintage, is not without interest. White mushrooms and grapefruit peel were my two main descriptors, and there is some sweet fruit. The acid is quite prominent though, and the fruit starting to dry out. It is also a touch musty and not a perfect bottle.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg 1936

Unfortunately the cork was discoloured so we couldn’t see if there was any reference to the wine being from the pre-phylloxera vines.

As with all good bottles that are very old, the first impression is that it is sound, the first emotion relief. Then as the wine reveals its character and quality, relief turns to wonder. This is a wine that is full of life, with so much enjoyment to give. There is rich, sweet fruit, exotic spice (cumin), some meaty notes (smokey bacon) and aged characters (tea leaves).  The flavours are concentrated and every element integrated. There is a sense that the wine has become more dense and concentrated with age, and like a reduced sauce there is a thickness to the texture. The enduring impression, though, is one of liveliness. This septuagenarian has a twinkle in his* eye and an entertaining story to tell.

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Richebourg 1998

A young Richebourg with all the structural elements there, but very adolescent. Absolutely typical of young DRC Richebourg, in that it is unyielding, but with great promise. Dense dark berries, woodsmoke, and minerality. Seriously good potential.

*Richebourg tends to be considered one of the more masculine of the Vosne Romanée Grand Crus.