2005 Lucien Le Moine, Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 1x750ml

Robert Parker 98

The single barrel of 2005 Romanee-St.-Vivant at this address smells of roasted game, super-concentrated, fresh purple plum, black raspberry, cumin, coriander and other exotic spices. Fantastically clear, concentrated and gripping, with tart fruit skin, concentrated, salty, soy-drenched meatiness, mysterious florality, and tactile spiciness, this finishes with length, eloquence and intrigue like some great, vinous novel. (Any suspicions I may have harbored, incidentally " and I did " that this famous grand cru simply couldn’t challenge the best of red Burgundy, were forever shattered by this wine and several of its 2005 counterparts.) Importer: Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (919) 769-3000 [David Schildknecht, 29/06/2007]

Vinous 95-98

Bright ruby-red. Wild, leesy aromas of black raspberry, blackberry, graphite, minerals and musky earth. The palate offers incredible sweetness and palate-saturating texture, with wonderful breadth to the flavors of purple fruits, violet and minerals. This mounts inexorably on the back half, suffusing the mouth with perfume on the endless finish. A knockout. [Stephen Tanzer, 03/01/2007]