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.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£13,231.22 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2016 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, picked on September 27–28 at 27hL/ha, has a heavenly, perfumed nose of blackberry, briar, wet limestone, incense and pressed iris flowers, displaying much more fruit intensity than the Corton alongside. There are subtle graphite notes that develop with aeration - the old-school pencil box, though it is never more than a fleeting suggestion. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and quite rounded in the mouth, and that graphite tincture builds toward the second half. I adore the energy and balletic poise of this Romanée-Saint-Vivant as it deftly fans out toward the finish, exerting grip, but with the softest of touches, and offering deceiving weight and depth. A wine that exudes panache and sophistication. 1,304 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in-bottle tasting in London. |
|||||||||
|
Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£11,932.82 |
|||||
Vinous (98)A total stunner, the 2017 Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru is the most expressive wine in the lineup today. Rich, creamy and so wonderfully textured, the RSV simply has it all. The tannins are present, but they are also matched by tremendous fruit density and pure power. Floral and savory overtones grace the lifted, saline finish. Leaving price aside, if I could only have one wine in this range, it would unquestionably be the RSV. The 2017 is a total knock-out. That’s all there is to it. This fruit was picked on September 10 and 11. |
|||||||||
|
Burgundy | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£11,062.82 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2020 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was picked on 26 and 28 August at 31.8hL/ha. There is a luxuriant lament on the nose that unfurls with each swirl. With blackberry and wild strawberry, a touch of potpourri and pressed iris flower, this is beautifully-defined. It needs five minutes before the aromatics are fully unwound. The palate is medium-bodied with lace-like tannins that frame the pure dark berry fruit, judiciously sprinkled with white pepper and bay leaf hints. There is a subtle crescendo towards its structured finish, a nuanced marine note lingering on the aftertaste. Sublime. 1,718 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in bottle tasting in London. |
|||||||||
|
Burgundy | 1 | 16 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£12,060.02 |
|||||
Jancis Robinson (16)This is the wine made from the results of a second passage through DRC’s Grands Crus, a week after the main harvest, which tends to be from the younger vines in the older vineyards. (It was also made in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006. ‘We make this wine only when we think it can announce the vintage,’ Aubert de Villiaine said, adding, ‘I’m equivocal about bottling it. There’s good fruit but it’s far from full.’) Very light, fresh nose but nothing like the usual DRC weight. Pretty but a little bit skinny. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Burgundy | 1 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£11,018.00 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2016 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, picked on September 27–28 at 27hL/ha, has a heavenly, perfumed nose of blackberry, briar, wet limestone, incense and pressed iris flowers, displaying much more fruit intensity than the Corton alongside. There are subtle graphite notes that develop with aeration - the old-school pencil box, though it is never more than a fleeting suggestion. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and quite rounded in the mouth, and that graphite tincture builds toward the second half. I adore the energy and balletic poise of this Romanée-Saint-Vivant as it deftly fans out toward the finish, exerting grip, but with the softest of touches, and offering deceiving weight and depth. A wine that exudes panache and sophistication. 1,304 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in-bottle tasting in London. |
|||||||||
|
Burgundy | 1 | 98 (VN) |
In Bond
£9,936.00 |
|||||
Vinous (98)A total stunner, the 2017 Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru is the most expressive wine in the lineup today. Rich, creamy and so wonderfully textured, the RSV simply has it all. The tannins are present, but they are also matched by tremendous fruit density and pure power. Floral and savory overtones grace the lifted, saline finish. Leaving price aside, if I could only have one wine in this range, it would unquestionably be the RSV. The 2017 is a total knock-out. That’s all there is to it. This fruit was picked on September 10 and 11. |
|||||||||
|
Burgundy | 1 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£9,211.00 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2020 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was picked on 26 and 28 August at 31.8hL/ha. There is a luxuriant lament on the nose that unfurls with each swirl. With blackberry and wild strawberry, a touch of potpourri and pressed iris flower, this is beautifully-defined. It needs five minutes before the aromatics are fully unwound. The palate is medium-bodied with lace-like tannins that frame the pure dark berry fruit, judiciously sprinkled with white pepper and bay leaf hints. There is a subtle crescendo towards its structured finish, a nuanced marine note lingering on the aftertaste. Sublime. 1,718 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in bottle tasting in London. |
|||||||||
|
Burgundy | 1 | 16 (JR) |
In Bond
£10,042.00 |
|||||
Jancis Robinson (16)This is the wine made from the results of a second passage through DRC’s Grands Crus, a week after the main harvest, which tends to be from the younger vines in the older vineyards. (It was also made in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006. ‘We make this wine only when we think it can announce the vintage,’ Aubert de Villiaine said, adding, ‘I’m equivocal about bottling it. There’s good fruit but it’s far from full.’) Very light, fresh nose but nothing like the usual DRC weight. Pretty but a little bit skinny. |