I always enjoy reading your report.

Talking about this Domaine Prince Florent De Merodes, I found that their label has the same “coat of arms” as the one of Domaine Ramonet.

Is there any link between two domaines? Why do they use the same coat of arms in their label.

I would appreciate if you can give me an answer.

Thanks,

Didier and the folks from DIVA had done a bang up job bringing the Merode wines up to a level of quality consistent with the considerable potential of the terroir and its old vines. For those who doubt the potential here, try any of the Merode Corton bottlings from 2001 — the Renardes and Bressandes both show especially well right now, the Clos du Roi is still tight as a tick. The wines have gone uphill from there, as year by year Didier has worked hard to improve the vineyard and cellar management and to understand what each of the grand crus has to say.

And, as noted above, the pricing structure was extremely fair. My guess would be that once “DRC” appears on the label most of us who are looking for wine to drink with Sunday supper, not trophies, will have to look elsewher when the wines are offered for sale, but it’s always possible the Domaine (and its various distributors around the world) will try to keep these Corton offerings within reach of the common man looking for good red burgundy to share with friends, without tapping the home equity credit line, comme moi.

I had the pleasure of sharing dinner with the Prince and Princess in their castle in Ladoix-Serrigny in the early spring, the year before both passed on. They were an extremely gracious couple, still sharp as tacks and still very devoted to one another and to the Merode estate. My hope was the Domaine would remain intact. At least we know that under DRC management their best properties will be carefully tended and it appears that Didier’s good work with the vines and in the cuverie will continue. My fond hope is that these wines will remain just that — wines — for keeping and drinking and pleasure, and will not become excessively expensive, branded status symbols and hot auction items for the well to do, as unfortunately has been the fate of the other wines in the DRC stable. The DRC bottlings are of course wonderful stuff, no one can doubt that for a moment, but they now dwell cordoned off in the realm of “investment grade” wines, and that is not where I’d like to see the Prince de Merode properties go.