The 2005 Richebourg was given a hundred percent new oak this year, as the domaine believed that the extraordinary stuffing of the vintage warranted the wood. It certainly is having no trouble carrying the oak, as the wine soars from the glass in a blend of plums, black cherries, raspberries, cocoa, excellent minerality (particularly for young Richebourg), violets and toasty oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and opulent, with a great, sappy core of fruit, supple tannins, great acids and outstanding grip on the very long, complex and voluptuous finish. Another brilliant wine.

A deep and brooding nose of subtle wood spice, Asian spice and ripe black pinot and plum aromas merges into big, robust and powerful flavors that are at once silky yet punchy with even more dry extract than the RSV and, at least today, even more finishing persistence. This is well muscled but taut and refined, like a world class gymnast. One to buy and forget if you can as this wine will make you very popular amongst your friends!

Full red-ruby. This is pure sex appeal on the nose: black raspberry, coffee, minerals, grilled oak and smoke, with a piquant topnote of blood orange. Large-scaled and utterly seamless, filling the entire mouth with black cherry, blackberry and black raspberry perfume. As powerful as this is, there's no undue weight here owing to the wine's outstanding vibrancy and aromatic lift. Boasts great volume and palate-staining persistence, with the noble tannins buried under a wave of fruit. (ST) 95+