Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Assortment, 2018

Romanée-Conti is not only the name of the most famous vineyard in the world but also the name of perhaps the best wine producer of all time.

In the village of Vosne-Romanée, in the heart of Burgundy, we find the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, named after the vineyard, itself. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, often referred to simply as DRC, has a long and remarkable history that has led to the wines from DRC being widely recognized as some of the most interesting in the world - both from a drinking perspective, but certainly also from an investment perspective.

The Magic By Which DRC Differs From All Others
In Burgundy, people always talk about what makes the difference. What is it that elevates one winemaker above his neighbor? At Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, many aspects play a role, but one is particularly relevant: The selection of the right clones of Pinot Noir to produce wines with the optimal flavor and profile.

In 1945, the last wine was made from ungrafted vines from the Romanée-Conti vineyard. That year, the DRC harvested only 2.5 hectares, in contrast to today, where the harvest is around 20 hectares, which is still far below the permitted 35 hectares. The family carefully selected the best clones from the vineyard and then cultivated them. In this way, the DRC now has its own clones of the vines that grew on the Romanée-Conti until 1945, before they were replaced. Incidentally, these are the same clones that recur in all of the DRC's vineyards, and this is perhaps one of the reasons why the wines each have a life of their own and are often in a league of their own when it comes to quality.

Grand Cru Vineyards In Vosne-Romanée
Besides the key personalities and the unique clones, there is of course the all-important factor, namely the vineyards themselves. The estate is located in Vosne-Romanée, where the six most important vineyards are located. The two best grand cru vineyards are owned as monopolies by the DRC (La Tâche and Romanée-Conti), which means that no one else produces wine on these vineyards.

The other wines are located in different vineyards, but what is probably most impressive is how large a share DRC owns in the other vineyards. Most producers often only own small parcels on a particular grand cru vineyard, but DRC is the largest owner on the four main vineyards.

La Tâche
6.06 hectares also owned as a monopoly by the DRC. The vines are on average almost 60 years old. The annual production is just over 20,000 bottles. The vineyard is considered by wine connoisseurs to be the most elegant and is only a fraction behind Romanée-Conti in terms of quality.

Richebourg
3.51 hectares with vines averaging more than 50 years old. The DRC produces an average of 12,000 bottles per year. Richebourg is another of the almost mythical Grand Cru sites in Burgundy, and like the DRC itself says:” We readily lend to Richebourg the silky character of its neighbor Romanée-Conti and the firmness of La Tâche”. It does not get any more beautiful than this when you have to put the wines from Richebourg into words.

Romanée Saint-Vivant
5.28 hectares with vines of great age variation. Some were recently replanted to get rid of old clones that did not give the desired expression. The younger vines are bottled and sold as Vosne-Romanée 1er cru. In total, the vineyard produces about 18,000 bottles per year. The style is elegant and extremely flattering, a wine that is appreciated all over the world.

Grands Échezeaux
3.52 hectares with vines more than 60 years old. 13,800 bottles per year are produced from here. It is the joker in the Aubert de Villaines range. A wine that is more grand than Échezeaux for so to speak, distinctly more rustic and dreamily aristocratic. Here is more muscle, and a wine that gains from long-term aging, showing its true terroir.

Échezeaux
4.67 hectares with vines more than 40 years old. DRC produces about 16,000 bottles a year of Échezeaux, which is the little brother in the line-up. Échezeaux is usually the vineyard where the vines blossom first and therefore, the harvest normally starts at Échezeaux. The wine itself can best be described as a lighter version of its Grands Échezeaux, but with fantastic finesse.

Montrachet
0.67 hectares with vines more than 70 years old and with a production of about 3,000 bottles in a normal vintage. Montrachet, legendary Le Montrachet itself! The most famous white wine vineyard in history, whose wines set the standard for all other white wines.