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 | |||||
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Burgundy | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£67,536.07 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 90 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£22,936.07 |
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Wine Advocate (90)The Echezeaux is one of the best examples of this wine the domaine has made recently. Deep in color (darker actually than the 1985), this wine has an exotic, intense bouquet of plums, oriental spices, oak, and berry fruit. It is, as one would expect, the most forward of their wines, but I would still not opt for opening it until 1993-1994. This is among the few superstars of this vintage, but the 1986 is not for drinking soon-patience is most definitely required. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 19.5 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£6,030.80 |
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Jancis Robinson (19.5)Pale ruby. Tight and quite dry on end. But opened out to fabulous balance. Lovely now. But very sweet. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 19.5 (JR) |
Inc. VAT
£70,584.04 |
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Jancis Robinson (19.5)Pale ruby. Tight and quite dry on end. But opened out to fabulous balance. Lovely now. But very sweet. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£43,334.44 |
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Wine Advocate (100)This wine continues to rank as one of the most memorable white wines I have ever tasted. The only criticism may be its heavy-weight style. The light golden color is followed by a nose that zooms from the glass, offering a phenomenal fragrance of honey, smoked nuts, lavishly rich, buttery fruit, and toasty oak. The wine's viscosity, unctuousness, and extract level are mind-boggling. It represents the essence of Chardonnay, extremely full-bodied and concentrated, yet remarkably well-balanced in spite of its massive size. Gorgeous to drink now, it should last for a decade or more. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£42,780.02 |
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Wine Advocate (96)Aubert de Villaine and his team harvested their 2006 Montrachet on September 26, and it was bottled (as a single assemblage) at the end of 2007. High-toned peach, lemon oil, musk, and floral aromas mark the penetrating, ethereal nose. Smoky, peach kernel pungency weaves its way through nutty, peachy richness on the palate. Less obviously dense, rich and sappy than the extraordinary 2005, this 2006 for all of its sheer viscosity and ripeness, displays a dynamic, almost shimmering sense of fruit and mineral interplay. Intriguingly, in my initial – November, 2007 tasting – this effect was more pronounced from a barrel that had been rolled to disburse the lees than in one that had undergone conventional batonnage. The youthful 2006 reflects its new wood environment in a way that the 2005 – at similar stages in its evolution – did not. There is no lack here of the mystery that should be expected from one of the world’s most fabled and expensive wines, not just in the paradox of viscosity, richness and power combined with elegance, lift, and refinement; but also in nuances that left me groping the lexicon for animal or mineral descriptors. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£3,761.60 |
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Vinous (95)The 2006 Richebourg is dark and brooding, with tannins that still need time to resolve. A sense of classic austerity runs through the 2006 that I expect will always be present. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£17,188.82 |
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Vinous (95)The 2006 Richebourg is dark and brooding, with tannins that still need time to resolve. A sense of classic austerity runs through the 2006 that I expect will always be present. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£11,400.80 |
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Burgundy | 1 | 100 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£37,030.40 |
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Decanter (100)Medium-full weight. Very lovely, almost Musigny-like fruit here. Complex, concentrated and intense. Marvelous harmony. Very, very long and multi-dimensional. This is very special. |
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Burgundy | 1 | 96 (WS) |
Inc. VAT
£3,561.20 |
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Wine Spectator (96)Seductive and open from barrel about a year ago, this is more reticent now, especially aromatically. Nonetheless, there's richness and a slow buildup of berry and cherry flavors, which turn more refined and satiny as this lingers on the finish. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Burgundy | 1 | - |
In Bond
£56,248.00 |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 90 (WA) |
In Bond
£19,084.00 |
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Wine Advocate (90)The Echezeaux is one of the best examples of this wine the domaine has made recently. Deep in color (darker actually than the 1985), this wine has an exotic, intense bouquet of plums, oriental spices, oak, and berry fruit. It is, as one would expect, the most forward of their wines, but I would still not opt for opening it until 1993-1994. This is among the few superstars of this vintage, but the 1986 is not for drinking soon-patience is most definitely required. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 19.5 (JR) |
In Bond
£5,023.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (19.5)Pale ruby. Tight and quite dry on end. But opened out to fabulous balance. Lovely now. But very sweet. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 19.5 (JR) |
In Bond
£58,804.00 |
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Jancis Robinson (19.5)Pale ruby. Tight and quite dry on end. But opened out to fabulous balance. Lovely now. But very sweet. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
£36,096.00 |
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Wine Advocate (100)This wine continues to rank as one of the most memorable white wines I have ever tasted. The only criticism may be its heavy-weight style. The light golden color is followed by a nose that zooms from the glass, offering a phenomenal fragrance of honey, smoked nuts, lavishly rich, buttery fruit, and toasty oak. The wine's viscosity, unctuousness, and extract level are mind-boggling. It represents the essence of Chardonnay, extremely full-bodied and concentrated, yet remarkably well-balanced in spite of its massive size. Gorgeous to drink now, it should last for a decade or more. |
|||||||||
|
Burgundy | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£35,642.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96)Aubert de Villaine and his team harvested their 2006 Montrachet on September 26, and it was bottled (as a single assemblage) at the end of 2007. High-toned peach, lemon oil, musk, and floral aromas mark the penetrating, ethereal nose. Smoky, peach kernel pungency weaves its way through nutty, peachy richness on the palate. Less obviously dense, rich and sappy than the extraordinary 2005, this 2006 for all of its sheer viscosity and ripeness, displays a dynamic, almost shimmering sense of fruit and mineral interplay. Intriguingly, in my initial – November, 2007 tasting – this effect was more pronounced from a barrel that had been rolled to disburse the lees than in one that had undergone conventional batonnage. The youthful 2006 reflects its new wood environment in a way that the 2005 – at similar stages in its evolution – did not. There is no lack here of the mystery that should be expected from one of the world’s most fabled and expensive wines, not just in the paradox of viscosity, richness and power combined with elegance, lift, and refinement; but also in nuances that left me groping the lexicon for animal or mineral descriptors. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£3,132.00 |
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Vinous (95)The 2006 Richebourg is dark and brooding, with tannins that still need time to resolve. A sense of classic austerity runs through the 2006 that I expect will always be present. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£14,316.00 |
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Vinous (95)The 2006 Richebourg is dark and brooding, with tannins that still need time to resolve. A sense of classic austerity runs through the 2006 that I expect will always be present. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | - |
In Bond
£9,498.00 |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 100 (DC) |
In Bond
£30,856.00 |
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Decanter (100)Medium-full weight. Very lovely, almost Musigny-like fruit here. Complex, concentrated and intense. Marvelous harmony. Very, very long and multi-dimensional. This is very special. |
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|
Burgundy | 1 | 96 (WS) |
In Bond
£2,965.00 |
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Wine Spectator (96)Seductive and open from barrel about a year ago, this is more reticent now, especially aromatically. Nonetheless, there's richness and a slow buildup of berry and cherry flavors, which turn more refined and satiny as this lingers on the finish. |