Alain Hudelot-Noellat, Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 2019

The 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is very perfumed on the nose with black plum, bilberry, violet and candied orange peel, and it shows a little riper and more decadent than Grivot's Richebourg tasted alongside. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, and it is focused to the point of symmetry, gradually building in the mouth toward an intense, spicy, almost citric finish with blood orange and marmalade. This is a Grand Cru of stature and longevity. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.

The 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, cassis, exotic spices, dark chocolate and rose petals, framed by a deft application of new oak. Full-bodied, sumptuous and enveloping, it's deep and concentrated, with lively acids, broad structural shoulders and a long, perfumed finish.