1 dozen bottles per lot
Details
ROMANEE CONTI
This miniscule vineyard gives it name to the most famous Domaine in the world, commonly referred to as "DRC", or, more reverentially, as The Domaine.
This pearl, this small jewel, just under 5 acres in size, was coveted by a famous collector of jewelry, 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.
It never fails to astonish me that the strips of vines which stretch only a modest number of meters up the very gentle slopes from the outskirts of an equally modest, indeed remarkably rural rambling of village Vosne, are capable of producing wines of such world class quality. The 1985 has become, perhaps, the most revered and coveted wine in the world.
MB
La Tâche--Vintage 1996
Côte de Nuits, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
In original wooden case
"Fantastically pure with the classic spice box, hoisin and soy nose followed by big, rich, very structured flavors that display notes of earth, leather and tea. The tannins are big, ripe and are completely buffered by the sap with length that is simply phenomenal. This remains completely primary in character and seems not to have budged at all since it was bottled. A genuinely great vintage for La Tâche that is softer in the mouth than the '96 Grands Ech and this should improve for another decade and last for 50 years. Very classy juice. Note: while it's happened only twice, the '96 can be intensely vegetal on the nose and not exhibit the purity that the wine is justifiably famous for; however, I have tasted so many outstanding bottles of the '96 LT that I view these two examples as outliers." BH, October 1, 2006
1 dozen bottles per lot
This miniscule vineyard gives it name to the most famous Domaine in the world, commonly referred to as "DRC", or, more reverentially, as The Domaine.
This pearl, this small jewel, just under 5 acres in size, was coveted by a famous collector of jewelry, 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.
It never fails to astonish me that the strips of vines which stretch only a modest number of meters up the very gentle slopes from the outskirts of an equally modest, indeed remarkably rural rambling of village Vosne, are capable of producing wines of such world class quality. The 1985 has become, perhaps, the most revered and coveted wine in the world.
MB
La Tâche--Vintage 1996
Côte de Nuits, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
In original wooden case
"Fantastically pure with the classic spice box, hoisin and soy nose followed by big, rich, very structured flavors that display notes of earth, leather and tea. The tannins are big, ripe and are completely buffered by the sap with length that is simply phenomenal. This remains completely primary in character and seems not to have budged at all since it was bottled. A genuinely great vintage for La Tâche that is softer in the mouth than the '96 Grands Ech and this should improve for another decade and last for 50 years. Very classy juice. Note: while it's happened only twice, the '96 can be intensely vegetal on the nose and not exhibit the purity that the wine is justifiably famous for; however, I have tasted so many outstanding bottles of the '96 LT that I view these two examples as outliers." BH, October 1, 2006
1 dozen bottles per lot