2011 | Domaine de La Romanee Conti | Romanee Conti

A fascinating, utterly contemplative Burgundy, the Romanée-Conti is quite dark and much more tannic at this stage than it usually is. Graphite, wild herbs, tar, plums and flowers meld together in a mysterious Burgundy endowed with considerable depth and power.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2011 Romanee-Conti was picked on 6 September at 26.83hl/ha. As usual, the Romanee-Conti is reticent at first, as if the wine is checking you out before deciding whether you are worthy. It then unfurls to reveal a precise, exquisitely focused bouquet with crushed strawberry, flint and smoke. The palate is devastatingly smooth on the entry. The tannins are lace-like, the acidity perfectly judged and it gently crescendos in the mouth towards a seductive poised finish that lingers incredibly long. This is a master-class in ‘less being more’: a consummate Romanee-Conti for mid- rather than long-term cellaring.

• Burghound: Discreet wood sets off a wonderfully elegant, airy and ultra-pure dark Pinot fruit nose that is perhaps even more reticent and shut down than the La Tâche and only seriously aggressive swirling can reveal stubborn notes of rose petal, spice and menthol influence. The ultra-silky but firm medium-scaled flavors are also blessed with an impressive abundance of dry extract that buffers the prominent but ripe supporting tannins on the moderately austere, deep and palate coating finish. The length here is genuinely amazing, indeed even at this early juncture this is already the longest wine in the range. As it virtually always is at this point in its development, this is an exercise in understatement, poise and controlled power with an unrivaled purity of expression. In sum, this is Zen-like. As to whether it will ultimately be better than the La Tâche in 2011 remains to be seen but for now the two seem to be neck and neck from a purely qualitative perspective.

Producer Information

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, or DRC as it is commonly known, is easily Burgundy's best-known and most collectible wine producer. Based in the Burgundy village of Vosne-Romanée, the domaine sells wines from eight different grand cru vineyards that span the length of the Côte d'Or. The most famous comes from the eponymous Romanée-Conti vineyard, and on average is the most expensive wine in the world. The domaine predominately produces Pinot Noir-based wines from 28 hectares (69 acres) of grand cru vineyard. Alongside Romanée-Conti are La Tâche, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg in Vosne-Romanée; plus Échezeaux and Grands Échezeaux bottlings. Fruit from Corton-Bressandes, Corton Clos du Roi and Corton Renardes is combined in a single Corton Grand Cru red. There are three white (Chardonnay) wines made. Only one of these, the Montrachet is made widely avilable. A Bâtard-Montrachet and a Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits are not publically distributed. Of course, La Romanée-Conti is the domaine's most famous asset, and the amount of wine made from less than 2ha (5 acres) of land amounts to just 6000 bottles a year. The vineyard has a long history, dating back to the Abbey of Saint-Vivant in the 13th Century. It took on the Romanée name in 1631, and the Conti in 1760.Today, DRC is owned in part by the de Villaine family and in part by the Leroy family. Aubert de Villaine is the figurehead of the company now – although it was famously run by Lalou Bize-Leroy for a time, until a dispute saw her ousted from control.

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