4 | Wine | France, Unrated, 2003

"The nose is intense and floral with hints of red fruit and oak not yet completely absorbed. The mouth is flavorful with immediate tannins that envelop and saturate the taste buds. This long, persistent wine has returning sensations of fruit and a note of fresh acidity that guarantees its longevity."

"Perhaps the biggest Romanee-St.-Vivant produced at this domaine, the 2003 offers aromatics as well as flavors reminiscent of black fruits drenched in dark chocolate. Full-bodied, velvety-textured, as well as concentrated, it is immensely ripe, crammed with tannin, and vaunts an amazingly long finish."

"Like many former Bordeaux underachievers, Malartic-Lagraviere has been making beautifully elegant, classic/textbook Pessac-Leognans under a relatively new Belgian administration. Plum, cassis, smoked herb, tobacco, and licorice-like scents emerge from the medium dark garnet-tinged 2003. Dry tannins in the finish do not detract from the wine’s overall seductive personality. While this is not one of Malartic-Lagraviere’s finest successes over recent years, it is an excellent wine to enjoy over the next 10-12 years."