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  • Country ranking ?

    673
  • Producer ranking ?

    116
  • Decanting time

    1h30min
  • When to drink

    now

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The Story

 “As if, in this square of earth, the gods had bequeathed us a memory of the fascinating vestige of a timeless perfection.” — Richard Olney. The wine of Prince de Conti, she is velvet, seduction and mystery. It is the most Proustian of all great wines.

 

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is without question the most famous estate in Burgundy and arguably the greatest, producing some of the best wines in the world. It is probably one of the most traditional wineries in France. Wines are produced in small quantities while the demand is huge. The domaine has 25 hectares of vineyards, all Grand Crus, including the jewel in the crown, the 1.8 hectare monopole of Romanée Conti.

Romanée-Conti, a vineyard of four and a half acres,was originally the property of the Abbey of St. Vivant. In 1760 Prince Conti acquired it against the competition of a famous collector of jewellery, Madame de Pompadour – the king’s minister against the king’s mistress. He withdrew it from the market and reserved it for his own dazzling social events. It was he who created the myth surrounding Romanée-Conti.

The price of this tiny, treasured vineyard was 80.000 livres, which in those days was worth a small kingdom. Reclaimed as property of the nation during the Revolution, the vineyard passed through the hands of several proprietors to an ancestor of the present owner for 14.000 gold pounds in 1868.

–We are the keeper of a certain philosophy of wine and, mainly, we are concerned by the perfection in details" assures Aubert de Villaine. 

 

Romanée-Conti lies on brown limestone soils 60 cm deep with a major clay component. Romanée-Saint-Vivant has similar but deeper (90 cm) soils. Higher up, La Romanée occupies a markedly sloping site (12%) and the soil texture is less clayey. La Tâche and La Grande Rue share brown limestone soils, rather shallow at the top end with deeper rendzinas lower down. The same is true for the Richebourg, depending on slope and aspect. The underlying rock is hard Premeaux limestone dating from the Jurassic (175 million years BC).

Lying between Flagey-Échezeaux (home of the ÉCHEZEAUX appellation) and Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosne-Romanée occupies a middle position in the Côte de Nuits. The vines grow at altitudes of 250 to 310 metres and face east or, in some cases, slightly south of east. Vosne-Romanée, the central jewel in the necklace of appellations which is the burgundian côte, is not content with holding a mere four aces but boasts a total of six Grands Crus, each one famous the world over. A thousand years ago, it was the Cluniac monks of Saint-Vivant de Vergy and the Cistercians of Cîteaux who first realised the value of these very special plots of land. 
One of these vineyards takes its name from Prince Conti who lost his heart to it in 1760. Romanée-Conti is one of the wonders ofthe world and has always been a singly-held entity. Next door to it, Romanée-Saint-Vivant recalls the medieval monastery of the Hautes-Côtes which is currently undergoing restoration and which is linked to it by its own path. La Romanée, La Tâche and La Grande Rue are also singly-held entities, as is Richebourg, whose mere name is enough to fill a glass.

 

These Grands Crus frequently give good results from long laying-down. As a general rule, they shouldn't be drunk under about ten years of age but sometimes they will be aged up to 20 or 30 years. Each appellation has its own distinct personality depending on its year of production and on the stage it has reached in its development. These flamboyant red wines fully express the subtlety and complexity of the Burgundian Pinot Noir grape. Their colour is a dark ruby turning crimson with age. Their wide-ranging bouquet is divided among small red and black fruits, violet, spices and, with time, underbrush. On the palate, this wine is well-defined with a powerful body. It is delicate, sensual, frank and full.

 

In addition to their powerful structure and exceptional longevity, these great wines develop tertiary aromas of truffle, underbrush, leather and fur. It goes without saying that strong-flavoured meats will do them justice : furred or feathered game, braised, in sauce, or simply grilled. Wild-fowl (eg Peking duck) or a nice cut of roast veal will be gently enveloped by the close-packed but elegant tannins of these mighty Pinot Noir wines.

Serving temperatures : 15 to 16 °C.

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Wine Information

1934 Romanée Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

This 1934 Romanée-Conti was made from pre-phylloxera vines, the proudly named vignes originelles francaises non reconstituées.
The old Burgundy vintages from pre-phylloxera vines without doubt had better lasting quality than their successor have ever achieved. The early twentieth-century vintages are therefore normally much younger-looking and more full of life than their heirs at the same age.
This tasting was half-blind, and my first thought was that this wine was from 1962 – it was so vigorous and eager to boast its strength.
Good-looking domaine-bottling bottle, and ullage was not more than 3 cm. Magnificent, aromatic oriental bouquet. Excellent, fully formed wine. Still quite masculine and powerful. Smooth and elegant. Velvety and lingering aftertaste, which goes on and on. Impossible not to adore this wine.

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Average Bottle Price

2023 2020 2015 2013 2012 2011 2010 2005 2000
19 650€ +5.6% 18 600€ +6.0% 17 550€ +18.3% 14 832€ -6.7% 15 889€ -8.9% 17 432€ +77.1% 9 843€ +110.6% 4 673€ +365.4% 1 004€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Full and Clear

ending

Long, Smooth and Lingering

flavors

Tar, Cherry, Smoky and Mineral

nose

Intense and Seductive

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Well-structured, Balanced, Medium-bodied, Elegant, Vigor and Rich

Written Notes

The Romanée-Conti 1934 stands as a poignant testament to the passage of time, offering a rare glimpse into the past. Each sip evokes contemplation, a reflection on the vineyard's hallowed terroir, and the hands that crafted this liquid history."

Upon pouring, the wine unveils its age with a deep garnet hue, with edges gently fading into a tawny amber, suggesting its many years of storied evolution. The clarity of the wine, given its age, is remarkable, a testament to its impeccable provenance and storage.

The nose unfolds with an opulent bouquet of dried cherries, black tea, and wilted roses. Layers of truffle, forest floor, and aged leather reveal themselves, adding depth and intricacy. Notes of dried herbs, like sage and thyme, provide a delicate counterpoint to the more profound, earthier aromas.

On the palate, the wine's texture is ethereal, with softened, silky tannins framing a complex mosaic of flavors. While the fruit has certainly receded, what remains is a sublime essence of dried strawberry and fig, melding harmoniously with savory notes of sous-bois, tobacco leaf, and antique wood. An impressive minerality underscores the wine, providing a thread of vibrancy that carries through to the finish. As the wine lingers, hints of sweet spices, perhaps nutmeg and anise, make a fleeting appearance, enhancing the overall complexity.

 

 

  • 97p
It immediately got a 'woof' from the Burghound and a 'serious' from Big Boy. There were lots of oohs, aahs and even a 'sexy' from Julianne. Wait a second, she was talking about me, sorry. The nose was incredible with all the classic DRC rust and iron along with a perfect pinch of citrus. The palate was amazing with smoky, meaty, rich, oily, nutty and earthy flavors. Super intense and long, its palate's rust and leather qualities were great and even had Burghound dreaming of perfection
  • 99p

(Slip label from a North American importer – from the same Doris Duke lot as I tasted last December in Canada? See Wine from four centuries.) Darker ruby than the 1969 – very rich and coffee on the nose. Very very sweet. Quite a different style from the other vintages – so sweet maybe rather obviously chaptalised? Firm finish. Another era! Very flattering. Very delicate and lifted. Roses, no hurry to drink. Sweet and fat though not port! Again a hint of pepper. SO rich and sweet!

  • 98p
D15min/G30min Medium intense, brick red colour. Rich, complex and opulent nose with great depth and intensity. The plethora of aromas - smoke, violets, brambles, licorice, tar, farmyard, earth, animal - so exciting! Medium-bodied palate with broad, concentrated and vivid strucutre. Restrained sweet red fruit character and a long, energetic and vibrant finish. Absolutely charming decadence!
  • 99p
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Information

Origin

Vosne-Romanée, Burgundy

Other wines from this producer

Bâtard-Montrachet

Corton-Charlemagne

Corton Grand Cru

Echézeaux

Grands Echézeaux

La Romanée-Conti Grand Cru

La Tâche

Les Gaudichots

Marc

Montrachet

Richebourg

Romanee Saint Vivant

Vosne Romanée

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault Blochet

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