Romanée Conti 2021

Appearance: Light to medium ruby-garnet with a translucent core and youthful brilliance, showing the classic clarity and finesse of a cool Burgundy vintage. 

On the nose, this is elegant and refined, with pure red fruit aromas—cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry—lifted by hints of violet, gentle spice, and subtle herbal lift. There’s an underlying cool, perfumed quality with floral nuance and delicate smoke/mineral accents that build slowly in the glass.

The palate is medium-bodied with a finely tuned structure, offering bright red fruit framed by vibrant acidity and ultra-fine, integrated tannins. Flavors of ripe cherry and redcurrant mingle with hints of spice, a whisper of earth, and a delicate mineral thread, giving both purity and tension. The wine shows transparency and poise rather than overt power. 

The finish is long and harmonious, with lingering red fruit, floral echoes and subtle spice that taper gracefully, leaving a sense of balance and refinement. 

Overall, the 2021 Romanée-Conti is elegant, poised and subtly expressive, emphasizing purity of fruit, fine structure and racy acidity over bold richness. It’s less opulent than some other recent vintages but beautifully balanced and built for graceful evolution with time in the cellar.

Serving: 14–16 °C; decant ~1–2 hours to encourage aromatic breadth.

Pairing: Duck breast with berry reduction, roasted lamb with herbs, game birds, mushroom-accented dishes, or aged Comté.

Drinking Window: 2028–2040+ (best development over time).

There was another red on this glorious night, and almost everyone contributed. Somehow it went from two guys splitting the bottle to ten, but when it’s a 2021 DRC Romanee Conti, no one was complaining. I think this went to the top of my list for how much I ever spent on a glass, and I think this is about the max. Why 2k lol. Its nose was deep and serious, so expressive with unreal spice. It was oozing red, juicy fruits. The palate was so ’21, forward and friendly despite it being RC, and it was also super sweet, not in a bad way but in a noticeable way. Juicy and sweet were the two lasting impressions; while it was still extraordinary, it seemed different from my usual RC experiences. Winemaker or climate? Either way, it was a sexy beast (97).

Racy but drying out slightly now. It shows a ruby color with a garnet edge. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and fine tannins. Some undergrowth to the orange peel and strawberry fruit. Drink or hold.