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Wine Description
The Story
Burgundy’s most sumptuous wine, and Anne Gros’ most sought-after cru, given both its bottomless complexity and its rarity. Poised, profound, pleasurable: an eternal wine.
Richebourg is a name that evokes richness, even a certain heaviness... which sometimes can be attributed to the confusion some people have.
It is in fact an extraordinary wine in that it combines power with supreme elegance. We often describe it as a peacock's tail. The silky, velvetiness of the tannins is complemented by a minerality which adds powerful depth and makes this grand cru one of the most sensual and complex wines.
Its purple colour reflects like a jewel the purity of Pinot Noir. The aromas are extremely complex and express an entire spectrum. |
The exotic aspect by notes of leather and musk... notes of caramel and chocolate bring it all together. It is a wine which with age becomes more and more earthy (humus, wet undergrowth) and wild (animal fur...). The food and wine pairings are many, but a dish must never be over complicated once you decide to open a Richebourg. The simplest mix of flavours gives the best results. The fundamental rule is to avoid suffocating this wine with heavier dishes.
Red meat and roasted game with mushrooms (morels, truffles, ceps...) and onion confit, along with a dash of spice form a magnificent combination. Mild cheeses (compté, reblochon, cîteaux...) are also excellent companions.
Vintage 2004
2004 VINTAGE in Burgundy
2004 will be remembered as the year of wonderful surprises. The month of September was hot, dry and sunny contributing to an excellent harvest which in turn gave birth to fruity, elegant wines.
The harvest started on the 13th September in Burgundy, the Mâconnais and the Côte Chalonnaise during a long awaited spell of mild weather following a summer characterised by climatic instability.
These conditions slowed down the colouring of the grapes, disturbed the start of ripening and provided ideal conditions for the development of oidium. Luckily the return of a long period of warmth and sun from the beginning of September onwards accelerated the ripening process with a sharp increase in sugars.
This summery weather accompanied by a warm drying wind also allowed for the vines to maintain a satisfactory sanitary state. The hailstorms unfortunately destroyed a number of important parcels in the Mâconnais and in the vineyards of the Côte d?Or at different stages of their vegetative cycle. Contrary to 2003, nature showed herself to be kind and the wine-growers had to go ahead with intensive green harvesting to control the yields, taking off the damaged grapes or leaf-thinning.
In mid-september estimations put the forthcoming harvest at about 10% above that of an average harvest.
Although the particularly successful 2002 and 2003 vintages are tasting beautifully at the moment, it is still to early to define the profile for the 2004 vintage.
We will have to wait until after various tastings in November in Beaune, Chablis and in the Auxerrois region before getting a preliminary idea of the qualities of the 2004 harvest.