2005 | Domaine de la Romanee Conti | Montrachet

Exotic scents of apricot, pineapple, citronella and honey are still marked by oak. On the palate, this is rich and creamy, almost massive, but unfolds in waves, with fine structure and a long mineral finish.

Reviews:

• Burghound: Not much time has passed between my last tasting of this wine that appeared in Issue 31 and this most recent bottle so my note is essentially unchanged: An opulent, ripe and moderately oaked in-your-face nose explodes from the glass, bringing incredibly complex and layered aromas that run from floral, citrus, spice and a full range of white and yellow fruit notes that complement to perfection the lush, rich and amazingly concentrated broad-scaled flavors that are underpinned by an intense minerality and a palate staining finish of simply unbelievable length. At this young stage, this is a massive Montrachet that is long on power and muscle and while it's not as elegant as say the 2000, 2002 or 2004 versions, I believe that the refinement one typically finds in this wine will come in time. In sum, for sheer vinous fireworks, this is hard to beat and to call it a "wow" wine would be a considerable understatement. However, note that plenty of time will be required and it will be one of the longest-lived vintages in recent memory. A great, great effort.

• Wine Spectator: Exotic scents of apricot, pineapple, citronella and honey are still marked by oak. On the palate, this is rich and creamy, almost massive, but unfolds in waves, with fine structure and a long mineral finish. All the elements are there for a great future. As perfect a young white Burgundy as I have tasted.

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. 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. 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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