In a world without DRC...

Ok, here’s a fun hypothetical: Let’s say DRC’s GC vineyard holdings didn’t exist. Or, to be more realistic, let’s just say you’re priced out of the wines. If you then wanted to select what you perceived as the second-best wines from the non-monopole vineyards of Richebourg, RSV, GE, and Echézeaux, which producer(s) fill the void if DRC’s wines/vineyard plots somehow ceased to exist. Obviously, this question is quite ridiculous, so just feel free to take it as “who, on average, makes the second best wine from each of those four vineyards?” Thanks!

Simply Google the second most expensive wine from each and you’ll have the answer!

You should know that I’m far too lazy to do that. Plus, I enjoy wasting everyone’s time.

I have said it for year… I would prefer a cellar full of Domaine Leroy whom I find superior to DRC. As for prices, the market prices a lot of Burgundy wrong as it is often priced on volume over quality.

You can’t get Romanee-Conti or La Tache from a different producer so it’s sort of a non-starter…

I don’t have a huge amt of experience here but, for Richebourg I’d say Méo-Camuzet (or Leroy). For RSV it’d be Cathiard (or Leroy). Also, these would be same with DRC in the field.

My guess is that if you ask this question a slightly different way, you would get a number of takers on Comte Liger-Belair. I’d be happy if I could just find a bottle somewhere

i read the thread title, and all i can think of is this voice:

For Ech I prefer L-Belair and D’Eugenie.

Big problem : they are as pricey as DRC …

this has been discussed before. it’s debatable whether DRC makes the best version of their non-monopole sites and of course, you cannot compare non-DRC la tache vs DRC la tache to determine if drc’s la tache is the best la tache (cannot prove a counterfactual).

therefore, drc cannot be the greatest domaine in burgundy.

crazy!

You can however get La Romanee which is may or may not have been part of the same vineyard centuries ago. A narrow strip of vineyard in between RC and LT exists (La Grande Rue) and may be your ticket if the exercise is to try wine from a very close location without a DRC label nor price. Of course it is not DRC but since there is no DRC…

I really like the RSV from Hudelot-Noellat (have not had their Richebourg) and the Echezeaux from Mugneret-Gibourg.

Certainly not the best, but the best value in Richebourg and Grands Echezeaux probably is Mongeard-Mugneret.

Probably the closest one could come to a non-DRC RC in some ways, at least in terroir is la Romanee.

I’ll play:

Richebourg – Hudelot-Noellat
RSV – Arnoux
GE – Drouhin?
Ech – Liger-Belair

The real answer for second-best wine for Richebourg and RSV is Leroy, though (and maybe sometimes first-best wine).

That right there.

However, if LaTache and R-C didn’t exist, nor DRC, it wouldn’t bother me at all because I don’t buy it anyway at $1000+ per bottle. I’m perfectly happy with Drouhin Echezeaux and Charmes-Chambertin, Ponsot CdlR and Chapelle-Chambertin, and a handful of others that I can get for $100 - $400 in the vintages I enjoy.

Not quite true. And to address exactly what mb is asking…

De montille malconsorts christianne plot is encompassed within la tache. Iirc
Some maps show the land on the edge cut out of la tache. Some right amid la tache.

The 2005 de montille malconsorts christianne is exactly la tache juice. In terms of terroir. To drill down more, I don’t know the cuttings of drc vs de montille. But the land is even more intertwined than la romanee and romanee conti

for value purposes, 1/3 the price or less

And while I am splitting hairs…:when was potel gaudichots alleged to be drc juice and where was it alleged to come from