2012 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru

Aubert de Villaine compared the domaine's 2012s to the 1991s, when I tasted the finished wines with him at the estate in November 2014. To be sure, though, the 2012s have come a long way since they were bottled. A year ago, the wines showed a palpable sense of raw power from tiny yields and late malos. Today, the wines are much more polished. At this stage, the 2012s can be divided into two groups; wines that are intensely tannic (Corton, Grands-Échézeaux, Romanée St.-Vivant and Romanée-Conti), and others where the concentration of fruit stands out above all else (Échézeaux, Richebourg and, to a lesser extent, La Tâche).

I tasted with Cellarmaster Bernard Noblet in November, so I was not able to ask Aubert de Villaine if he still prefers the estate's 2012s to its 2010s. In November of 2013, de Villaine ventured the opinion that the '12s have "more energy and riper tannins" than the earlier year. Part of that energy no doubt owes to his decision to vinify with 60% to 80% whole clusters in 2012, which helps to counter the vintage's impression of slightly elevated pHs, which Noblet told me are in the 3.6 to 3.65 range. These stunning wines impress more for their class and refinement than for sheer weight on the palate.

Mother Nature was merciless in 2012, sparing growers only botrytis (rot). Pretty much everything else that could happen did happen, DRC's Co-Manager Aubert de Villaine relayed. Warm, dry conditions in March led to a very early budbreak. Rain and unseasonably cool temperatures returned in April, causing all sorts of problems. Mildew and oidium were omnipresent threats, but high amounts of rain made it difficult to get into the vineyards for treatments. A long and protracted flowering lowered potential yields further. Conditions improved markedly over the summer and into the early fall, but not before heat spikes scorched some of the most exposed bunches. The harvest started on September 21. The 2012s have turned out very well, although as a group the wines are raw and much less polished than other recent vintages have been at the same period in time, most likely because of the late malolactic fermentations. I expect the wines will come together, but overall don't see a lot of early appeal in this vintage. The 2012s appear to be built for cellaring. Unfortunately I was not able to taste the Corton, which had just been racked. I did taste the 2012 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvalt-Blochet. Aubert de Villaine told me he had not decided if the wine would be bottled, and that if it was it would be sold only to restaurants in France. I found the wine quite pretty and expressive, but a bit light in structure.

Aubert de Villaine is always reticent about his new vintages before they are bottled, and his in-depth report on the growing season and harvest of 2012 goes into great detail on the challenges of the year.In the end, though, the crop was extremely small and concentrated (with an average yield in pinot noir of about 20 hectoliters per hectare) and the fruit was fully ripe and healthy.The main task at harvest was to leave behind the berries that were burned during a few scorching days at the end of June.Like many of his colleagues on the Cote de Nuits, de Villaine pointed out that without the natural crop thinning brought by mildew attacks and heat waves, the fruit would never have reached such a level of maturity and quality.The fermentations took a good six or seven days to start and it was even necessary to heat the grapes at the end of the harvest.DRC vinified with 60% to 70% whole clusters, with de Villaine pointing out that it's necessary to be careful with the use of stems in years with a lot of millerandage, "which means every vintage here since 2010."Today de Villaine compares the estate's 2011s to its 2009s in their finesse, charm and hedonistic appeal.The 2012s are more serious wines; as of November, he believed that they have more energy and riper tannins than the 2010s, and he ranks 2012 above 2010.As you will see from my tasting notes, 2012 is indeed an extraordinary vintage for this great estate.(Aubert de Villaine was not ready to present the Corton, as it had just been racked.)