Romanée-Conti

2005 Romanée-Conti Richebourg

By on March 31, 2008 #asides

A wide nose – not so deep and focused as the Vivant, but rather fine and edged with higher-tones and caramel. After 30 minutes there is more definition and focus with a lovely floral aspect. On the palate the effect is very specific; it stains your tongue with complex flavours – but without apparent weight – now that’s impressive. Faintly furry tannin, super-wide and beautifully textured. I don’t think this wine is showing all it has, but what it does show is completely stunning – a wow wine.

2005 Romanée-Conti La Tâche

By on March 31, 2008 #asides

Aromatically closer to the style of the Richebourg than the Vivant, but right from the start it has focus and an extra and deeper register if not the anticipated spice-box. The flavour profile is riper/sweeter than the last wines – closer to the Echézeaux – but the there is a clear and distinct extra length. Currently this is at the subtle end of the traditional La Tâche continuum – it’s far from a blockbuster, but it certainly edges the Richebourg for the most complete wine so far.

2005 Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti

By on March 31, 2008 #asides

I’ve rarely experienced this from young DRC wines, but today this is clearly, aromatically more impressive than the La Tâche – it’s deeper, has more concentrated fruit at the core, and what fruit! In the mouth the stunning fruit continues, creamily-edged and slowly creeping into a haunting finish. There is a faint tannin emphasis but the tannin melts before the finish. There is beautifully packaged ripeness here, but delivered in such a way you would never class as negative. By far the most authoritative young Romanée-Conti I ever met, but in part that’s due to the tightness of most of its stable-mates.

2000 Romanée-Conti Romanée Saint-Vivant

By on October 31, 2007 #asides

Medium, medium-plus colour – just a very faint edge of amber at the rim. The nose is a sniffer’s delight – though the stems are very forward – they overlay a deep and primary red-fruit nose that’s edged with softness and a faint, savoury, musky note. The more it develops in the glass the more savoury it becomes; the last drops showing an extra fineness. In the mouth the wine is clearly grand cru in texture though the concentration is not so up-front, it rather develops on the tongue in an understated way. The tannins are well covered though I find the acidity is the least perfect aspect – not bad, but just a little bright – at this level I demand seamless. There is a subtle extra dimension in the mid-palate and into the finish – which is also very understated. Apart from the nose and the entry, everything about the wine is subtle and low-key – it holds the interest amply though, even the acidity seems well-judged at the death. Very fine now, if not quite mind-bending. I expect it will only get better for at least the next 10 years but it was very much enjoyed – to the last drop!

2004 Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti

By on March 31, 2007 #asides

Yield 26.55 hl/ha – or 471 cases. Medium-pale colour. The nose is wide and deep, translucent rather than dense with quite pleasant stem notes. Bottle two seems to be have more depth and show a more floral, violet aspect. It’s hard to point out specific attributes as there is that Romanée-Conti ‘whole-ness’ that provides such a measure of balance. Understated and precise, there is so much harmony and sophistication here. Certainly a wine for reflection rather than to impress.

2004 Romanée-Conti Echézeaux

By on March 31, 2007 #asides

Yield 26.5 hl/ha – or 1,267 cases. Medium cherry-red colour. Soft aromas of vanilla support high-toned young but quite elegant notes and subtle stems – slowly it is cherry fruit that starts to underpin everything. The palate mirrors the elegant profile of the nose – there are no fireworks, just a sneaky, undemonstrative length. Elegant, subtle, long reflective wine.

2004 Romanée-Conti Grands-Echézeaux

By on March 31, 2007 #asides

Yield 25.5 hl/ha – or 882 cases. Medium colour. The nose has a little more wood and stem ‘smoke’, faint vanilla at the base and just a little more width than the Echézeaux. Eventually the nose shows truffly notes and asian spice – more cohesion but I miss a fruit dimension, plus a little cedar is now appearing – 25 minutes finally gives us a little cherry! The nose seems much more primary than from barrel. The palate shows the elegance that I remember though the acidity seems just a little brighter with a trace of cedar on the mid-palate. Like the Echézeaux, there are no fireworks, rather understated length. This was my ‘amour’ from barrel – from bottle it seems merely ‘pretty’ rather than beguiling.

2004 Romanée-Conti Romanée Saint-Vivant

By on March 31, 2007 #asides

Yield 28.3 hl/ha – or 1,229 cases. Medium colour. The nose starts more generous and savoury that the last wines but then closes up. Some notes of cedar and berries are slowly released as the nose widens again, becoming smoky and filling the glass again with creamy, spicy and more fruit driven notes. The palate is more masculine and tannic but shows sweet fruit and a more concentrated length. It’s less elegant for sure but has more power and will surely gain balance with time. This is a much bigger step up from the Grands-Echézeaux than at the barrel tasting.

2004 Romanée-Conti Richebourg

By on March 31, 2007 #asides

Yield 27.25 hl/ha – or 953 cases. Slightly deeper colour. Violets and smoke on the sweet nose – the stems are more forward than with the previous wines. Lovely red fruit notes waft from the almost drained glass. Again a different approach – the wine starts narrow but widens and widens on the palate. There tannins are evident but well covered by fruit. The length is very sneaky indeed. There is similar concentration but better balance compared to the Saint-Vivant. Despite not fileding the usual Richebourg ‘punch’, this is a super package.

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