1971 | Domaine de la Romanée-Conti | Grands Echezeaux

Huge, rich, full, complex and mature burg nose that displays seductive nuance after nuance; the nose fascinates as it seems to be in a state of constant change and the next whiff is not like the first. This doesn't even have to drunk to impress but the encore is impressive as incredibly rich, almost sweet flavors completely stain the palate and they just go on and on in one never ending wave.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 1971 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru is a wine that I have tasted a handful of times; this a vintage where the wines excelled (not until 1978 was that the case again). Here the bottle was similar in color to previous encounters with quite a broad degradation. The bouquet is fresh and lively with that brambly red fruit, orange peel and wild heather (yes - I wrote exactly the same descriptors as last time without any previous recall!). The palate conveys wonderful energy, a purring motor here, poised and transparent. It gently unfolds—such a nuanced Grands Echézeaux that paradoxically leaves a deep impression.

• Vinous: I have been fortunate to taste the 1971 Grands Echézeaux four times now (always a privilege when it is your birth year). This 1971 bottle is as good as the best I have come across despite some turbidity in the glass. Yet the bouquet is divine and ethereal with vestiges of red cherry and strawberry, wild heather (again - just like previous bottles) and pressed flowers. The palate is fully mature with tart red fruit, brown spice and that telltale sense of transparency towards the finish. It is not a dense or powerful wine and I suspect it was better around 20 years of age. But it has aged gracefully and maintained such exceptional balance and poise that you cannot help surrendering to its charms. Tasted at a private lunch at Howard's Gourmet.

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. In 1869, it was obtained by Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet, who left it to his great grandchildren upon his death. It was then that the Société-Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was established to avoid Napoleonic inheritance laws. Today, DRC is owned in part by the de Villaine family and in part by the Leroy family. The decades-long figurehead of the estate, Aubert de Villaine, stepped down from his role in 2022 and nephew Bertrand de Villaine currently oversees the estate. It was famously run by Lalou Bize-Leroy for a time, until a dispute saw her ousted from control. DRC's eight grand cru wines are a familiar label on the world auction scene, and are notable for the high prices they regularly fetch, particularly the Romanée-Conti. Unfortunately, this comes with its own challenges – it is also one of the world's most frequently counterfeited wines.

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