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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Vinous (92)
(90% destemmed): Good deep red. Ethereal aromas of red berries, minerals and spicy oak. Juicy, spicy and penetrating, conveying a light touch and excellent energy to the flavors of red fruits, pepper, herbs and licorice. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins and a spicy perfume that leaves the mouth refreshed.Inc. VAT£2,720.00 -
Vinous (92)
(90% destemmed): Good deep red. Ethereal aromas of red berries, minerals and spicy oak. Juicy, spicy and penetrating, conveying a light touch and excellent energy to the flavors of red fruits, pepper, herbs and licorice. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins and a spicy perfume that leaves the mouth refreshed.Inc. VAT£5,706.41 -
Vinous (92)
(90% destemmed): Good deep red. Ethereal aromas of red berries, minerals and spicy oak. Juicy, spicy and penetrating, conveying a light touch and excellent energy to the flavors of red fruits, pepper, herbs and licorice. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins and a spicy perfume that leaves the mouth refreshed.Inc. VAT£10,273.22 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The 2008 Echezeaux is a noticeable step up in quality from the Vosne-Romanee. This is a decidedly rich, powerful Echezeaux endowed with considerable muscle. The aromas and flavors build beautifully towards a dazzling, harmonious finish. The 2008 is a big Echezeaux that could use further time in the cellar. There is plenty of underlying structure to support a long life in the cellar. The 2008 is seriously impressive. If any wine can be said to represent ‘value’ among the Domaine’s 2008s, the Echezeaux is it. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038.Inc. VAT£3,628.40 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5+)
Notably deeper colour. More violets and headier than the Échezeaux. Denser. Floral notes and the skein of freshness runs through this but with great charm and class. Notable acidity on the finish and the tannins are just about hidden. Medium weight fruit. Redcurrants poke through on the finish.Inc. VAT£4,790.00 -
Inc. VAT£5,416.40
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Inc. VAT£22,689.62
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Vinous (97+)
The 2013 La Tâche Grand Cru is dazzling. Bright and nuanced, the 2013 sizzles with energy right out of the gate. The 2013 is just starting to open. Ideally, a few more years in the cellar would be helpful, but the 2013 is so inviting at this stage. This late-ripening year produced a La Tâche that bristles with tension.Inc. VAT£38,097.64 -
Vinous (99)
The 2008 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti ranks amongst not only the best vintages that I have tasted from the domaine, but possibly the greatest white Burgundy I have ever tasted. The nose is breathtaking in terms of its precision and mineralité. There are not overt, easily definable aromas in situ, more an articulation of the vineyard that translates every single atom where it came from. The palate is bewitching in terms of its perfect bead of acidity, laser-like focus and the vein of salinité that leaves you begging for more. This is close to perfection. Tasted at the mature white Burgundy dinner in Hong Kong.Inc. VAT£11,391.20 -
Vinous (99)
The 2008 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti ranks amongst not only the best vintages that I have tasted from the domaine, but possibly the greatest white Burgundy I have ever tasted. The nose is breathtaking in terms of its precision and mineralité. There are not overt, easily definable aromas in situ, more an articulation of the vineyard that translates every single atom where it came from. The palate is bewitching in terms of its perfect bead of acidity, laser-like focus and the vein of salinité that leaves you begging for more. This is close to perfection. Tasted at the mature white Burgundy dinner in Hong Kong.Inc. VAT£41,484.02 -
Burghound (96)
A whiff of post-bottling reduction does little to detract from the strikingly well-layered and ever-so-mildly exotic fruit, white flower and softly wooded nose. The super-rich and full-bodied yet beautifully delineated flavors possess a borderline painful intensity along with a taut muscularity before culminating a focused, tightly wound and powerful finale that really fans out as it sits on the palate. Moreover this markedly dry but not really austere effort is what I describe as sneaky long because just as the finish appears to be dying away it suddenly come back and plays hide and seek with your palate. Like most vintages of the Domaine's Montrachet this is undeniably built-to-age but unlike some of them the 2013 rendition is not likely to drink particularly well before the age of at least 10 and should reward somewhere between 15 and 20.Inc. VAT£8,380.40 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2008 Richebourg sweeps across the palate with a breathtaking combination of elegance and power. It is a huge wine that boasts tons of mineral-driven, pointed fruit with more than enough depth to fill out its broad shoulders. All of the elements build gracefully towards the intense, taut finish. The Richebourg is likely to require considerable patience. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2043.Inc. VAT£16,411.22 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2013 Richebourg Grand Cru was harvested on the afternoon of October 9 and then the following day at just 16.5 hectoliters per hectare, the second lowest after the Echézeaux. It is clearly the elder brother of the 2013 Romanée-Saint-Vivant with intense dark cherry, black plum, tayberry and crushed violet aromas (the latter, perhaps a nod to the Romanée-Saint-Vivant). As with all the domaine's wines this year, it is beautifully defined with beguiling transparency. The palate is medium-bodied, but there is serious weight and presence here. It is struck through with sorbet-like freshness, hints of blood orange tincturing the vibrant red fruit, seguing into a finish with great conviction and confidence, a Richebourg self-aware though not preening about its status. This is a Richebourg to cellar for several years and to enjoy over the next 20 to 25 years (or more). Production is 551 cases. Tasted February 2016.Inc. VAT£3,849.20 -
Vinous (94-97)
The 2013 Romanée St.-Vivant shows off all the signatures of this site, with soaring aromatics, bright, chiseled red-toned fruit and an understated expression of intensity that is all about finesse. A model of precision and nuance, the RSV is one of my early favorites in the range. Clean, saline notes add to a feeling of refreshing vitality.Inc. VAT£3,395.60 -
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.Inc. VAT£12,060.02
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Vinous (92)
(90% destemmed): Good deep red. Ethereal aromas of red berries, minerals and spicy oak. Juicy, spicy and penetrating, conveying a light touch and excellent energy to the flavors of red fruits, pepper, herbs and licorice. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins and a spicy perfume that leaves the mouth refreshed.In Bond£2,264.00 -
Vinous (92)
(90% destemmed): Good deep red. Ethereal aromas of red berries, minerals and spicy oak. Juicy, spicy and penetrating, conveying a light touch and excellent energy to the flavors of red fruits, pepper, herbs and licorice. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins and a spicy perfume that leaves the mouth refreshed.In Bond£4,750.00 -
Vinous (92)
(90% destemmed): Good deep red. Ethereal aromas of red berries, minerals and spicy oak. Juicy, spicy and penetrating, conveying a light touch and excellent energy to the flavors of red fruits, pepper, herbs and licorice. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins and a spicy perfume that leaves the mouth refreshed.In Bond£8,553.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The 2008 Echezeaux is a noticeable step up in quality from the Vosne-Romanee. This is a decidedly rich, powerful Echezeaux endowed with considerable muscle. The aromas and flavors build beautifully towards a dazzling, harmonious finish. The 2008 is a big Echezeaux that could use further time in the cellar. There is plenty of underlying structure to support a long life in the cellar. The 2008 is seriously impressive. If any wine can be said to represent ‘value’ among the Domaine’s 2008s, the Echezeaux is it. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038.In Bond£3,021.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5+)
Notably deeper colour. More violets and headier than the Échezeaux. Denser. Floral notes and the skein of freshness runs through this but with great charm and class. Notable acidity on the finish and the tannins are just about hidden. Medium weight fruit. Redcurrants poke through on the finish.In Bond£3,989.00 -
In Bond£4,511.00
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In Bond£18,900.00
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Vinous (97+)
The 2013 La Tâche Grand Cru is dazzling. Bright and nuanced, the 2013 sizzles with energy right out of the gate. The 2013 is just starting to open. Ideally, a few more years in the cellar would be helpful, but the 2013 is so inviting at this stage. This late-ripening year produced a La Tâche that bristles with tension.In Bond£31,732.00 -
Vinous (99)
The 2008 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti ranks amongst not only the best vintages that I have tasted from the domaine, but possibly the greatest white Burgundy I have ever tasted. The nose is breathtaking in terms of its precision and mineralité. There are not overt, easily definable aromas in situ, more an articulation of the vineyard that translates every single atom where it came from. The palate is bewitching in terms of its perfect bead of acidity, laser-like focus and the vein of salinité that leaves you begging for more. This is close to perfection. Tasted at the mature white Burgundy dinner in Hong Kong.In Bond£9,490.00 -
Vinous (99)
The 2008 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti ranks amongst not only the best vintages that I have tasted from the domaine, but possibly the greatest white Burgundy I have ever tasted. The nose is breathtaking in terms of its precision and mineralité. There are not overt, easily definable aromas in situ, more an articulation of the vineyard that translates every single atom where it came from. The palate is bewitching in terms of its perfect bead of acidity, laser-like focus and the vein of salinité that leaves you begging for more. This is close to perfection. Tasted at the mature white Burgundy dinner in Hong Kong.In Bond£34,562.00 -
Burghound (96)
A whiff of post-bottling reduction does little to detract from the strikingly well-layered and ever-so-mildly exotic fruit, white flower and softly wooded nose. The super-rich and full-bodied yet beautifully delineated flavors possess a borderline painful intensity along with a taut muscularity before culminating a focused, tightly wound and powerful finale that really fans out as it sits on the palate. Moreover this markedly dry but not really austere effort is what I describe as sneaky long because just as the finish appears to be dying away it suddenly come back and plays hide and seek with your palate. Like most vintages of the Domaine's Montrachet this is undeniably built-to-age but unlike some of them the 2013 rendition is not likely to drink particularly well before the age of at least 10 and should reward somewhere between 15 and 20.In Bond£6,981.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2008 Richebourg sweeps across the palate with a breathtaking combination of elegance and power. It is a huge wine that boasts tons of mineral-driven, pointed fruit with more than enough depth to fill out its broad shoulders. All of the elements build gracefully towards the intense, taut finish. The Richebourg is likely to require considerable patience. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2043.In Bond£13,668.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2013 Richebourg Grand Cru was harvested on the afternoon of October 9 and then the following day at just 16.5 hectoliters per hectare, the second lowest after the Echézeaux. It is clearly the elder brother of the 2013 Romanée-Saint-Vivant with intense dark cherry, black plum, tayberry and crushed violet aromas (the latter, perhaps a nod to the Romanée-Saint-Vivant). As with all the domaine's wines this year, it is beautifully defined with beguiling transparency. The palate is medium-bodied, but there is serious weight and presence here. It is struck through with sorbet-like freshness, hints of blood orange tincturing the vibrant red fruit, seguing into a finish with great conviction and confidence, a Richebourg self-aware though not preening about its status. This is a Richebourg to cellar for several years and to enjoy over the next 20 to 25 years (or more). Production is 551 cases. Tasted February 2016.In Bond£3,205.00 -
Vinous (94-97)
The 2013 Romanée St.-Vivant shows off all the signatures of this site, with soaring aromatics, bright, chiseled red-toned fruit and an understated expression of intensity that is all about finesse. A model of precision and nuance, the RSV is one of my early favorites in the range. Clean, saline notes add to a feeling of refreshing vitality.In Bond£2,827.00 -
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.In Bond£10,042.00