Domaine
de la Romanée-Conti: Focus on Grands-Échézeaux and Richebourg

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 2009 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Échézeaux Grand Cru &nbsp; &nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2009 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1999 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Échézeaux Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1999 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1979 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1979 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Échézeaux Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Échézeaux Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1966 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2007 &nbsp; &nbsp;Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
 </td>
 <td>
 96</td></tr></tbody></table>

This
remarkable survey of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s Grands-Échézeaux and
Richebourg spanned four decades going back to 1966. The setting was the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.worldwinesymposium.com/uk/">World Wine Symposium</a>
at the Villa d’Este in Lake Como, one of the most idyllic places anywhere in
the world. Co-Manager Aubert de Villaine presided
over the tasting with his usual dry, understated sense of humor. “I am sure
many of you, like me, you could stay for hours having a dialogue with these
wines. It’s much better than with many people…” I&nbsp;can't&nbsp;argue with that.

In
many ways this tasting turned out to be the precursor to the following year’s <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/articles/domaine-de-la-romanee-conti-an-essay-in-terroir-dec-2013">seminar</a>, which similarly traced the
evolution of the domaine’s Échézeaux and Romanée
St. Vivant, also across four decades. The 1999 and 1979 vintages were featured
in both tastings. For the sake of convenience and easy reference, I have
reproduced my comments on those two years from the previous article. All
of the wines were sourced from the estate’s cellar, so provenance was
impeccable.&nbsp; 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1406150230159-DRCBox+-+ARTICLE.jpg"> 

The
2009 harvest yielded a set of voluptuous Burgundies built on ample sunshine and
radiance. De Villaine has long compared the 2009s to the 1959s for their early
appeal and ability to age gracefully for many years. The Richebourg was brought
in on September 13 and was the first of the domaine’s Côte de Nuits vineyards
to be picked that year. The Grands-Échézeaux followed on September 17 and 18.

The
2009 Grands-Échézeaux is incredibly
closed in on itself. A huge, intense wine, the 2009 possesses superb depth and
density. Hints of red berry, tobacco and bramble open up in the glass, but only
with great reluctance. This is a decidedly powerful, structured vintage for the
Grands-Échézeaux, so patience is going to be the key. 94/Drinking window: 2019-2039. The 2009 Richebourg opens with the most beguiling, exquisite aromatics
imaginable, but then turns more austere on the palate as the tannins and
structure assert themselves with authority. Still, there is a sensuality to the
2009 that is impossible to miss. Smoke, tar, cured meats and dark red stone
fruit are some of the many nuances that emerge from the dense, layered finish.
Far from an easygoing 2009, the Richebourg demands cellaring. 96/Drinking window: 2021-2049.

DRC’s
1999s have always been stunning, as is the case again today. The rainy spring
turned out to be a blessing given the intense heat and drought that arrived in
mid-August and lasted pretty much until the harvest. This is also the first
vintage of the Vosne 1er Cru bottling, which seems to correspond with an
increase in quality of several wines at the Domaine, most notably the
Échézeaux, Grands-Échézeaux and Romanée St. Vivant.

A
dark, brooding wine, the 1999
Grands-Échézeaux is simply sensational. Firm tannins provide the backbone
in an intensely perfumed, savory Burgundy loaded with class and nuance. Smoke,
tar, leather and herbs open up in a mysterious, intensely perfumed Burgundy
that has so much still to say. The broad, textured finish makes it impossible
to resist a second taste, and then a third. I expect the 1999 will drink well
for another 20 years, perhaps longer. This is a fabulous showing for the
Grands-Échézeaux. 95/Drinking
window: 2014-2034. An utterly magnificent wine, the 1999 Richebourg plays in all dimensions, with expressive, lifted
aromatics and huge, imposing structure. This is an especially ethereal
Richebourg, where the characteristic power is more implied rather than overtly
stated. Underlying veins of salinity propel the finish in an energetic
Richebourg loaded with personality. In this tasting, the 1999 gives the
impression of being a minimalist wine, with so much still to offer. Today, the
1999 is simply dazzling. 97/Drinking
window: 2014-2039.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1406150210820-DRCCoverandRichebourg+ARTICLE.jpg"> Richebourg, Vosne-Romanée

All
things considered, these two 1979s are still in good shape, but also fully
mature. In my opinion, older wines must maintain a degree of freshness in
color, aromatics and fruit to be truly enjoyable, something that is probably
too much to ask for in a vintage as challenging as 1979. Personally, I find the
1979s in this tasting a bit faded for my own taste. Aubert de Villaine
describes 1979 as a very difficult vintage. Hail arrived on June 3rd, just
before flowering. The vines recovered and produced a second crop that was
brought in from October 11-20. Yields were a measly 6-7 hectoliters per
hectare.

Dried
flowers, tobacco, tea leaves and coffee lift from the glass in the 1979 Grands-Échézeaux. Although now
fully mature, the 1979 will probably hold on for at least a few years, although
there is no real upside from cellaring bottles further. The mid-weight,
feminine finish is attractive, but also a touch fleeting. 92/Drinking window: 2014-2019. The 1979 Richebourg is pretty but also fully mature. Initially quite
silky, the 1979 shows the traces of the significant hail that fell that year.
How could it not. Dried cherries, herbs, tobacco and anise meld into a finish
marked by elements of slight bitterness. The 1979s were never racked, as the
Domaine wanted to handle the wines as minimally as possible given their
fragility. During this era, the wines were also bottled barrel by barrel. 90/ Drinking window: 2014.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1406151126721-DRCLineUp+ARTICLE+-+CROPPED2.jpg"> An incredible tasting

The
two 1966s in the tasting are utterly brilliant. I would have loved to taste the
1966s when they were young, but unfortunately I have only known them as fully
mature Burgundies. The 1966s have a sense of weightless depth and intensity
that approaches a level of sheer beauty that can only be described as spiritual
in nature.

What
a treat it is to taste the 1966
Grands-Échézeaux. A subtle, beguiling mid-weight wine, the 1966 impresses
for its gorgeous perfume and sweetness. The 1966 is a bit fresher than the 1979
tasted alongside it, with none of the brown, fully mature notes found in that
wine. The 1966 is not going to get better from here, but it sure is drop-dead
gorgeous today. 93/ Drinking window:
2014-2016. Delicate, gracious and light on its feet, the 1966 Richebourg is
wonderfully complete and harmonious. Expansive and layered, yet also quite
delicate, the 1966 is absolutely magnificent today. The powerful Richebourg
tannins have mostly melted away in this superb, mature Burgundy. 94/ Drinking window: 2014-2016.

The
tasting ends with the 2007
Bâtard-Montrachet, a wine I have never tasted. The essence of slate,
crushed rocks, graphite, smoke and lemon oil are all laced together in a huge,
racy wine that captivates all of the senses. The huge, voluptuous finish is
simply dazzling. What a remarkable wine this is. The Domaine makes a few
barrels of Bâtard for private consumption. Readers lucky enough to taste the
2007 are in for a real treat, as it is magnificent. 96/Drinking window: 2014-2017.

Editor’s Note: This piece is one
of several previously unpublished articles in our Archive that we will be
posting over the coming weeks.

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