Meeting with Bertrand de Villaine is like seeing a friend you haven’t caught up with for a while. Topics of conversation are wide and varied and delivered in a relaxed manner. He is engaging and a good conversationalist. As one of the co-gérants of this legendary Domaine there are no airs and graces but there is an unrelenting pursuit of quality. One could argue that this Domaine already produces the world’s best wines, but they are striving to make the best even better.
One of the challenges for all growers nowadays are the effects of climate change and earlier, warmer harvests. The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has invested in a vine nursery with some other producers so they can test and assess various clones and plant material that may be better suited to today’s climatic conditions. DRC also own 10 hectares of forest from whence trees are sourced for their barrels. This gives them ultimate control over the quality of the wood that goes into the crafting of their specific barrels.
Today we taste the 2023’s from barrel and as we descend into the cellars we are greeted with a delightful sight. Barrel upon barrel of wine. I’ve never seen the cellars so full and according to Bertrand it was the most abundant harvest since 1964, even eclipsing 1999. The only wine where production was modest is Richebourg and this is because the parcel from the climat of Les Verroilles, which makes up 1/3 of DRC’s Richebourg holdings, has been re-planted. The quality from top to bottom in 2023 here at the Domaine is superb, from this most generous of harvests.
2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton, Grand Cru : A bright and punchy nose of floral spice, spruce and dark cherry. In the mouth it is deep and chewy. There’s chalky structure and excellent cut and persistence. It is very Corton and very good.
2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux, Grand Cru: Very much red fruited, with some pomegranate and strawberry notes. The palate is laden with spice, and it is generous and fleshy. It finishes with a light cherry skin astringency and is expansive.
2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux, Grand Cru: The profile of the fruit is a little darker than the Echezeaux. It has a core of black cherry. It is full layered and fleshy. You get plenty of aniseed spice and a wine of real flow and drive.
2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée St. Vivant, Grand Cru : Purple fruits, violets and rose petals. A wine of great energy that is so rich and deep but light on its feet. It is long, cool and minerally and really fans out.
2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg, Grand Cru : Very deep, with dark fruits and black soil notes. It is laden with spice and so velvety against the gums. There’s real latent power here and an awesome finish carried by perfectly ripe, supple tannins. The wine’s minerality becomes evident right at the end.
2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche, Grand Cru : Quite deep of colour. Relatively closed on the nose, emitting a bare whiff of rose petal and cherry. In the mouth there are Asian spice flavours and something salty, akin to soy. It builds through the palate and has a forceful and expansive finish. Light florals linger once swallowed. It is all here and is going to need cellar time to unwind.
2023 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti, Grand Cru : Today, this is more open than La Tâche and you find something engaging and new with each sniff. Pomegranate, cherry, raspberry, rose petals and Chinese five spice. The palate is vinous silk. It has great volume and presence and is super complex. It finishes with mineral cut, expands and lingers. Simply perfect balance and proportion.
Notes from November 2024.