Romanee St Vivant 2002

Ruby-red. Nose dominated by coffee, cocoa and smoky oak. Very sweet, lush, creamy and mouthcoating, with excellent vinosity giving the concentrated fruit and smoke flavors a tangy quality. Densely packed, even thick, but light on its feet. Very long on the aftertaste, with tannins overshadowed by fruit. The irrepressible Laurent calls 2002 "my best year yet, an incredible vintage." It seemed to me that I tasted more of his new wines from barrel than in any past vintage, and I found the average quality impressively high.

Score: 94

Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com 01 March 2004