Which DRC to try

WINE TALK
41

Good evening John,

Others have covered the profile question, and I would just add some commentary on pricing and choices.

DRC has always had a lot of brand value, but right now that brand value is so high that once you are willing to spend the money for a particular DRC wine, the relative difference in price between a decent and great vintage is not going to be all that much for the wines that are at or near the $2K spend you are targeting- namely Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux and Romanee St. Vivant.

$2,000 is a difficult price point. You can get in at that level at retail, but your choices will be very limited and with DRC it is always a good idea to pay something of a premium to get a bottle with impeccable provenance. If you could up that to $2,500, then you will find you have a great many more choices plus you can be picky about provenance. Counterfeiting is always a concern with DRC- but your greater concern is heat damage. As the market shows you- these bottles trade hands at auction quite a bit. All that shipping just leaves room for the possibility of a bottle getting a little warm at some point, and- while not ruined- maybe being slightly impaired. The good news however is that starting with the 2001 vintage, DRC wines have tended to sell through quickly at retail- plus high end retailers by this time tended to have cool rooms for storing top wines, and so your odds of getting a lightly heat damaged bottle due to it sitting out in the 70s for a year or more is far lower than it used to be.

As for the specific choice, again I would suggest being willing to spend a bit more to get a bottle that is likely to show incredibly well. For a first-timer, I think you are best going for a wine that is just entering maturity or on the upward trend within peak. Going younger also means you avoid many of the risks I note above. But not too young because if the wine is shut down you will likely be very disappointed.

And given that Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux and Romanee St. Vivant are the ones most likely to be in your price range- I think your target vintage range should be 2000-2008.

Be careful about the 2000s though. The Echezeaux is lovely- that one I would absolutely recommend. Romanee St. Vivant when I last had it 10 years ago was very nice, but also very meaty and somewhat foursquare. It lacked nuance at the time. La Tache is beautiful- endless cascades of rose petals- but it is on the light and ethereal side for La Tache. I like that- but many do not.

2001 is the vintage I would go for. The Echezeaux is splendid- a big step up from the excellent 2000 but only $100-200 more expensive in the retail market these days. And Romanee St. Vivant is out of sight good. It is a real knockout and along with the 1993 one of the greatest DRC Romanee St. Vivants I have ever tasted. It was unfurling splendidly a decade ago and should be in full cry now. Even within the range of DRC- the 2001 Vivant has a wow factor that is rare, and if you want to try a DRC for less than $3,000 just once in life- this is the one to try now I think. Even if you had no limit on your budget- this one would be on my list.

The 2006s are superb across the board- but that vintage in both Burgundy and Bordeaux had a long honeymoon phase followed more recently by in many cases shutting down harder than I would have expected. If someone with very recent experience says 2006 is a go- then consider it. But I am not touching those myself right now.

I have not tried the 07s or 08s- 2006 is where my nearly every vintage experience ends and gets spotty- but based on my general knowledge of both vintages, and even moreso since Kevin and others here who know there stuff have recommended them, I would say either vintage is a good choice- but I would go for the 2008 over 2007 unless the 2007 is far less expensive.

Anything else in the vintage range I suggested is either not as good- though just as expensive- or too soon to drink. The 02s might be coming around by now, but after my last experience with Grands Echezeaux I would not bank on it. 03/04- not worth the tariff IMO, and I would not risk opening 05, 09 or 10 this young.

Final thought- I would suggest Echezeaux or Romanee St. Vivant from the 3 that are in your price range. The Grands Echezeaux is a spectacular wine, but it is also one of the longest lived and it can be at times very unforgiving if opened too young. Since you are looking for a one-time experience, I think Ech or RSV will be the safer bet.

42

too many know how great 01 RSV is and it’s so hard to find. Last time was in a Palm Springs restaurant, paid about $2000. Good luck finding it.

43

The case I got for $400 a bottle lasted until 2010. I remember in 2009 one of the auction houses, Hart Davis Hart I think, had a case that I bid on- but dropped out when it got over $800 a bottle all in.

Still regretting that…

44

Some shop in CT has a bottle for 2k. No idea if it’s reputable.

45

I feel your pain. When 85 DRC Richebourg hit $600 I quit, since I knew that was a market peak! Loved that wine. We drank it together.

46

I don’t know if it would work in the US but if things ever get back to normal I’d unhesitatingly go to a restaurant with a great list for a one-off experience, a great list will offer DRC at retail or less and some protection.
The wines absolutely deserve their reputation, which is a bit annoying.

47

Tom,

Thanks for the very detailed response. The budget is extremely flexible 3000-3500 would be fine as well would prefer to stay around 2k-2500. I enjoy Pinot but not had much of burgundy. Was just thinking of something really big for my 40th where I can kind of justify it to my wife,lol. Any other burgundy suggestions? From all I’ve read it seems like I will try to get ahold of a RSV or maybe a La Tache if I want to really push budget. Picking a vintage and finding where to get it from, with great Provenance is quite important to me. Someone already mentioned Benchmark Astor, any others.

Thanks
John

48

Benchmark has a provenance guarantee, so if you buy it within 6 months of when you drink it and you feel like it shows signs of heat damage (or is not authentic) they’ll replace it or refund your $. No affiliation except I buy a lot of wine from them and had this happen once and they took care of it.

They have a 09 Richebourg at $3099 which is a pretty decent deal for a very nice wine.

49

I agree. Had this Recently and it was good.

Also agree with others - if it’s me (and will be me soon) I would try to attend or organize a dinner where some greats can be opened (and others bring). For me, this is the best way to do it and share the experience - every time I open something of this level without likeminded folk it’s not as fun.

50

I would go Rousseau Chambertin. Except 98 and 11.

Often more open than DRC even when young and fewer disappointing experiences. Might even save a couple of bucks.

51

Yeppppppppppp

52

Classic WB post

53

I would add Rousseau to the mix. These days, Rousseau are the only burgundies I buy in quantity every year. Add in the occasional 3 pack of Roumier Charmes or Chambolle Les Cras when I find a nice price, and Angerville Volnays in vintages like 2015, and that is it. In this new world, those are the ones that are still worth the price to me.

If you want a really wow young burgundy- try 2015 Rousseau Clos de la Roche. It is unusually forward in 2015 and while I predicted in my TN that it should shut down hard at some point, Burghound plus a CTer I trust both seem to think it may actually remain open most of its life. Either way- it is a spectacular experience. Still primary but already showing a lot of the nuance it will have in old age. A good comparison on the Bordeaux side is 2015 Mouton, which is also drinking beautifully.

I do not have as much experience with Rousseau as DRC, but I have always been a fan of the entire range. Sure the lower end wines (if you can call Charmes and Clos de la Roche lower end) have a lot of the young sex appeal now that the Big 3 (Chambertin, Clos de Beze and Clos St. Jacques) have always had- but in older vintages with plenty of bottle age they all come out nicely.

Rousseau is also a good bet in off vintages. The first time I ever went to an Acker Auction dinner- 11 years ago now- I took a 1986 Chambertin with me that turned many heads. It still comes up for sale from time to time, and for far less than the 1985.

The 2001s are also a good vintage to seek out. If you end up going for a very young vintage- excepting the unusual generosity of the 2015 Clos de la Roche- Charmes is your safest bet, as well as Chambertin in most vintages. The others can be a little closed up young- hard to predict.

As for where to buy- Benchmark I can highly recommend. The big NY stores also get in Rousseau from time to time- notably Crush, but sometimes Chambers as well. Not sure he has any DRC, but Max Marinucci at Wine Connection in Pound Ridge had a good supply of Rousseau at one point- including some 86 Chambertin actually. None of that is on the website, so best to email and ask. This was a while back, so not sure what he has right now. Also NY Wine Warehouse- I have a lot of good luck there with rare and older wines.

Keep an eye on the auctions as well- we are just a few weeks away from the opening of the season. I expect the aggressive buying activity to continue to some degree following on a very strong spring season- but it will offer you some good selection at a time when many retailer stocks are running low. Between shipping disruptions and lots of people shopping from home for fun- thanks to COVID- retailer stocks are running a bit lean right now on things like Rousseau. But the auctions should bring in some fresh offerings- especially since we are in a rare time where many wealthy want or need to sell, but at least as many are prospering in all of this and buying like crazy.

In fact I would expect the fall to bring an extraordinary assortment of higher end wines to auction. It could be like 2012 all over again when many records were shattered- also a time when you had lots of people needing to sell combined with many others ready and eager to pay top dollar.

54

Vins rare just sent out a mailer with some decent drc deals, richebourg from 07-12 from 2700-3200 with good provenance.

55

Grands Echezeaux to me is the best “value” in the lineup, although I’m not going to disagree on the modern vintage RSV calls.

The Rousseau call is true too, but I disagree about 2011. IMO his is is one of the best of that vintage and a 2011 drunk a few months ago was great. Not green but with a fresh herbal streak. But then again, maybe pick a better vintage (2014 is drinking nicely) and go for a lower hierarchy wine, anything Mazis and above is a safe bet!

56

It would be better if he recommended a really expensive beer.

57

I can’t recall who it was in an old ‘help me get into Burgundy’ thread that told the OP to simply spare his wallet some heartache and buy Cru Bojo instead.

58

Why DRC? IMO Tache is with Rousseau Chambertin the best bottle (obviously not every vintage) in Burgundy. LT is currently still very pricey. If you want the very best of Burg I would go for Rousseau Chambertin in a vintage that is ready like 96 (I have tried it and it’s fantastic and ready) which offers better value than DRC. Rousseau Cham usually needs 20 yrs to be ready so be careful. Or you go down a notch and try something like Roumier 99 which is possibly ready (have not had a for a while). 95 and 96 are great and ready.

59

I agree with the comment on finding a bottle at a restaurant you know has had it since release. If you can find one of these “value” vintages you can frequently find the wines at or below current market, sometimes well below market. Obviously restaurant dependent but my experience is that the service and food elevate when you order a bottle like this and we have had very memorable evenings. Additionally, if the bottle is corked or flawed, you can always send it back.

60

Some great comments here. I’ll add my 2 cents.

Yes a few years ago, DRC raised the wholesale on RSV over the Richebourg. I was told this comes from the Domaine.

For me the price differential on DRC is so small I would only buy a good vintage. No value in the off vintages. If I was dead set on DRC I would go to Tampa to the place that shall be unnamed. I just had a 92 Echezeaux from a perfect cellar that was drinking great.

Rousseau is my favorite producer. As others have said the wines drink great early and old. Up and down the chain. My sweet spot is the Ruchottes. On fire since 09 and I’d be happy to drink any of them. Or get a 99 CSJ and enjoy.