Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2020 in-bottle: first look

The release of the new vintage of Domaine Romanée -Conti (DRC) is always one of the most notable, high-profile events in the UK wine calendar. Corney & Barrow (exclusive UK agents for the domaine) held this year’s the tasting at their offices on Thursday 1st February, introducing the beautifully formed 2020 vintage to the market.

In attendance were Co-Directors Bertrand de Villaine and Perrine Fenal, with Aubert de Villaine making an appearance later in the morning.

Given the fine growing season the quality of DRC 2020 is sky-high (as are prices – and this is before the effects of the drastically reduced yields in 2021 fully come into play). All of the Domaine’s wines were tasted (except for Le Montrachet) and the detailed reviews of these wines will be undertaken by Charles Curtis MW following the USA release New York this month.

Coming soon: tasting notes and scores for all DRC 2020 in-bottle wines

What was notable was the effortless combination of grace, clarity and structure, with all of DRC’s wines exhibiting similar traits of ripe fruit, precise and focused acidity, barely noticeable oak and subtle nuances on the nose and palate which mark them out as wines from the top-drawer. Wines to sip and savour, preferably after five years in the cellar, and then over the next two to three decades (and beyond).

Quiet majesty

DRC wines are not showy. In 2020, there was an alluring freshness apparent, building on the ripe fruit of the 2018 and 2019 vintages, with an extra layer of refinement and elegance. Perrine Fenal (daughter of Lalou Bize-Leroy) was impressed by the ‘quiet’ majesty of the 2020’s. She describes them as having a Zen-like character – in her words ‘undisturbed’.

Whereas many 2019 wines were fleshy and ripe, partly down to the heat-spikes during the vintage, the domaine’s 2020s manage to be rich without any heaviness – in this vintage there is an extra layer of refinement. So, how was this achieved in what was yet another hot and dry season? The answers lie both in the vineyard and with the winemaking.

Balance in the vineyard is key with the significant age of the estate’s vines playing a major part. This was aided by the decision a couple of years earlier to adjust the training of the vines to allow for a higher canopy, with resultant benefits from shading. Some of the excessive heat and exposure was mitigated, whilst also encouraging improved air-circulation.

The winter was wet with budburst suggesting an early-vintage was likely. However, the prevailing winds for most of the growing season came from the North, as opposed to moister winds from the South and West, enabling the vines to cope with the heat of June and July.

The Domaine felt that the grapes were the healthiest since 2015. Picking began on 18th August – the same date as in 2003. Alexandre Bernier (Chef de Cave) and his team made a final selection on the sorting tables, rejecting just 1.5% of the crop where berries were roasted or over-ripe. 90-100% whole bunch was undertaken with gentle, unforced fermentations of 18-21 days taking place.

The 2020 Pinot Noirs from many Burgundian domaines are marked by a deep, regal, purple hue – perhaps more reminiscent of Malbec and Syrah than Pinot. Yet DRC’s wines are nowhere near as deep in hue as other producers. Bertrand de Villaine agreed that the colours were a bit darker than normal but that gentle handling during vinification was key. De Villaine observed that ‘the wines are very unforced and natural’.

De Villaine and Fenal both felt that the 2020 DRC wines have a strong similarity to many of the Domaine’s wines from the 1990s – wines with plenty of freshness and notable acidity but less obvious ripeness of fruit. DRC’s 2020s will undoubtedly be approachable earlier than with the wines produced almost three decades ago, but will certainly be up to the long-haul.

Unsurprisingly high prices

Prices are unsurprisingly high, with the additional issue of managing to get hold of an allocation. Of the Grand Cru, Echezeaux is the ‘entry’ level wine at £1,455 for a case of three bottles. Richebourg (particularly delicious in 2020) is £3,480 per three, whilst Romanée-Conti itself, weighs-in at £3,870 for a single bottle.

However, the huge price hikes seen across Burgundy have not been repeated here. It will be interesting to see how DRC handles the 2021 vintage though. When asked about the state of the market for fine Burgundy, Adam Brett-Smith, Corney & Barrow’s managing director, summed up with one word – ‘terrifying’.

The approach of the Domaine is one driven by balance – in terms of the vineyard and how they best work with what nature has given them, together with the approach taken during vinification. It seems likely that ‘balance’ will also be applied to the pricing of future vintages, with Perrine Fenal expressing undisguised excitement for both quality and higher volumes in 2022.

Hopefully the more generous yields in 2022 will compensate for 2021 but, if you can get an allocation, you cannot go far wrong with any of DRC’s wines from 2020.

Related contentDomaine de la Romanée Conti 2017: eight wines revisitedDomaine de la Romanée-Conti 2019: in-bottle tasting comparisonWine Legend: DRC Richebourg 1959