1 bottle per lot
Details
"Romanée-Conti", as the local proverb goes, "is the pearl of the Burgundian necklace." This tiny jewel of a vineyard gives its name to the most famous Domaine in the world, commonly referred to as "D.R.C." The miniscule vineyard of Romanée-Conti which covers 5 acres, was coveted by a famous collector of jewellery, Madame de Pompadour, but she was out bid by the Prince de Conti, hence the name. The King's minister won against the King's mistress! In 1868 the vineyard passed to the de Villaine family and is still, today, managed by Aubert de Villaine.
The other relatively small parcels of vines cultivated by the Domaine include La Tâche (nearly 15 acres), also a "monopole" or wholly owned vineyard, 13 acres of Romanée-Saint-Vivant, over 8 acres of Richebourg, 8 acres of Grands-Echézeaux and just over 11 of Echézeaux. Last, but certainly not least, the king of white Burgundy: Le Montrachet, of which DRC owns a priceless 1.65 acres. One thing strikes me forcibly : these seven sites prove unquestionably that the French notion of "terroir" is not a fancy figment of Gallic imagination for the differences between each of the wines are so consistent. Yet all six of the D.R.C. burgundies are made traditionally, in the same cellars, from grapes of the same variety, Pinot Noir. Romanée Conti itself has a unique concentration, La Tâche has a different sort of intensity, and each have a superb yet vividly contrasting bouquet. Richebourg, next door, has a "broader" character, and so on. So what produces those differences: slight variations in subsoil, slope and drainage, fractionally, virtually imperceptible microclimate. Who knows ? But fermented and élévé identically, the final wines are very distinctive. MB
Romanée-Conti--Vintage 1959
Côte de Nuits, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Level: 2cm
1 bottle per lot
The other relatively small parcels of vines cultivated by the Domaine include La Tâche (nearly 15 acres), also a "monopole" or wholly owned vineyard, 13 acres of Romanée-Saint-Vivant, over 8 acres of Richebourg, 8 acres of Grands-Echézeaux and just over 11 of Echézeaux. Last, but certainly not least, the king of white Burgundy: Le Montrachet, of which DRC owns a priceless 1.65 acres. One thing strikes me forcibly : these seven sites prove unquestionably that the French notion of "terroir" is not a fancy figment of Gallic imagination for the differences between each of the wines are so consistent. Yet all six of the D.R.C. burgundies are made traditionally, in the same cellars, from grapes of the same variety, Pinot Noir. Romanée Conti itself has a unique concentration, La Tâche has a different sort of intensity, and each have a superb yet vividly contrasting bouquet. Richebourg, next door, has a "broader" character, and so on. So what produces those differences: slight variations in subsoil, slope and drainage, fractionally, virtually imperceptible microclimate. Who knows ? But fermented and élévé identically, the final wines are very distinctive. MB
Romanée-Conti--Vintage 1959
Côte de Nuits, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Level: 2cm
1 bottle per lot