Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
About Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (aka DRC) is an iconic producer – and has maintained this position for many decades. DRC has a fascinating and lengthy history spanning the ownership of its namesake vineyard by the Bourbon Prince of Conti, through the French Revolution to the current owner of the de Villaine and Leroy/Roch families. Managing 25 hectares of exclusively Grand Cru vineyards, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is the sole Burgundian estate to bottle nothing other than the pinnacle of the region’s classification system.
Chief amongst all Burgundy producers to claim holdings in most of the magical terroir in Vosne-Romanée, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is famously hailed as the King of Vosne-Romanée. Possessing only the best vineyard in the region, two of their most sought after red wines being Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, both of which are monopole holdings and frequently amongst the best offerings in Burgundy.
Apart from Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, DRC also produces four other Grand Cru wines from Vosne-Romanée at ultra-limited quantity each year: Romanée St-Vivant Grand Cru (approx. 1,500 cases/year), Richebourg Grand Cru (approx. 1,000 cases/year), Échezeaux Grand Cru (approx. 1,340 cases/year) and Grand Échezeaux Grand Cru (approx. 1,150 cases/year).
The style of the DRC wines is rich, intense, silky, transparent and quite light on the aromatic palate with more red than dark nuances. The use of whole clusters gives a very rich aromatic profile, and a very high complexity as the wine ages. All the wines are very reflective of the terroir, and the difference in terroir is very clear even when the wines are very young and powerful. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti normally use 100% new oak on the wines.
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Wine Advocate (94)
Drunk in Burgundy from a French source, this bottle of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's 2006 Échézeaux Grand Cru was showing extremely well, opening in the glass with aromas of raspberries, cherries, spices and rose petals, framed by a deft patina of high-quality new oak. Full-bodied, voluptuous and layered, it's rich and muscular, with lively acids and plenty of powdery tannin. To my taste, this is still a decade away from maturity, though it is immensely pleasurable to drink now.Inc. VAT£11,062.82 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5)
Gentle spice, hint of cigar box and delicate oak spice aromas and something perfumed and almost exotic, a little like sandalwood, opening up to spiced red fruit and candied orange-peel freshness. Already so multi-faceted and open on the nose. Very tangy and finely spiced on the palate too. There’s density and elegant tannic structure but so well dressed in light but fine fruit that you barely see the framework. Fine spicy grip on the long fresh finish. Silky, scented, gorgeous. The most approachable of the 2007 grands crus tasted alongside.Inc. VAT£12,736.82 -
Vinous (94)
The 2011 Échézeaux literally jumps from the glass with a heady melange of dark red fruit, sweet floral notes and crushed rocks. Rich and explosive on the palate, yet backed up with significant structure and pure intensity, the 2011 is firing on all cylinders. First and foremost, the Échézeaux is a wine of pure texture. The Échézeaux emerges from 7-8 parcels in the Poulallières climat. There is so much to like here.Inc. VAT£10,060.82 -
Vinous (94)
The 2017 Echézeaux Grand Cru is similarly lifted, with a bit darker fruit and more structure than the Corton. A deceptive, beguiling Burgundy, the 2017 shows the mid-weight structure of the year. Here too, time in the glass brings out the wine’s vertical feel and overall intensity. The 2017 needs time to soften, but it is incredibly persistent and impeccable in its balance. Readers should expect an especially austere Echézeaux that is going to require cellaring. The fruit was brought in on September 13 and 15, with a day’s break in between because of rain.Inc. VAT£10,327.22 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2018 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a very deep hue. The extraordinarily pure bouquet features black cherries intermingling with blueberry and oyster shell, and later a hint of potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, edgy and stony, with dark berry fruit and a little spicier than I recall apropos of previous Echézeaux at this stage. It might just need a little length, but otherwise it is a wine determined not to be outshone by its Grand Cru siblings.Inc. VAT£9,781.22
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Wine Advocate (94)
Drunk in Burgundy from a French source, this bottle of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's 2006 Échézeaux Grand Cru was showing extremely well, opening in the glass with aromas of raspberries, cherries, spices and rose petals, framed by a deft patina of high-quality new oak. Full-bodied, voluptuous and layered, it's rich and muscular, with lively acids and plenty of powdery tannin. To my taste, this is still a decade away from maturity, though it is immensely pleasurable to drink now.In Bond£9,211.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5)
Gentle spice, hint of cigar box and delicate oak spice aromas and something perfumed and almost exotic, a little like sandalwood, opening up to spiced red fruit and candied orange-peel freshness. Already so multi-faceted and open on the nose. Very tangy and finely spiced on the palate too. There’s density and elegant tannic structure but so well dressed in light but fine fruit that you barely see the framework. Fine spicy grip on the long fresh finish. Silky, scented, gorgeous. The most approachable of the 2007 grands crus tasted alongside.In Bond£10,606.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2011 Échézeaux literally jumps from the glass with a heady melange of dark red fruit, sweet floral notes and crushed rocks. Rich and explosive on the palate, yet backed up with significant structure and pure intensity, the 2011 is firing on all cylinders. First and foremost, the Échézeaux is a wine of pure texture. The Échézeaux emerges from 7-8 parcels in the Poulallières climat. There is so much to like here.In Bond£8,376.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2017 Echézeaux Grand Cru is similarly lifted, with a bit darker fruit and more structure than the Corton. A deceptive, beguiling Burgundy, the 2017 shows the mid-weight structure of the year. Here too, time in the glass brings out the wine’s vertical feel and overall intensity. The 2017 needs time to soften, but it is incredibly persistent and impeccable in its balance. Readers should expect an especially austere Echézeaux that is going to require cellaring. The fruit was brought in on September 13 and 15, with a day’s break in between because of rain.In Bond£8,598.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2018 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a very deep hue. The extraordinarily pure bouquet features black cherries intermingling with blueberry and oyster shell, and later a hint of potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, edgy and stony, with dark berry fruit and a little spicier than I recall apropos of previous Echézeaux at this stage. It might just need a little length, but otherwise it is a wine determined not to be outshone by its Grand Cru siblings.In Bond£8,143.00
