See also: Burgundy 2007 on decanter.com Related articles from the Decanter archive: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti The Decanter profile (August 2007) Red Burgundy 2005 Sarah Marsh MW looks at a truly great vintage (includes drinking windows and Steven Spurriers top 10). Vosne-Romanée Stephen Brook visits the truly great Côte de Nuits village (includes top players and new faces) Decanter's tasting director, Christelle Guibert, reports on the exclusive tasting of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines from the 2006 vintage.
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Cuvée Duvault-Blochet |
Made from the young vines of the Grand Cru vineyards, this is a great introduction to the Romanée-Conti stable. The nose displays wonderful purity of fruit with aromas of cherrys and strawberrys. The tannins are very silky, combined with finesse and lovely natural acidity.
£550 (case of 6 in bond)
Echézeaux, 2006
From one of the largest Grand Crus vineyards (37.7ha) in Burgundy, this 2006 has lovely perfume on the nose; pure raspberry fruit with some spice. Very harmonious on the palate, it also has fine tannins and delicate fruit supported by a rich structure and a very long finish.
£895 (case of 6 in bond)
Grands Echézeaux, 2006
Just over the road from Clos-de-Vougeot, and generally regarded as superior to Echézeaux, this wine shows a combination of spice and wild berry with some smoky aromas. On the palate, there is a perfect harmony between the vibrant fruit, the natural acidity and the silky tannins. Dense and generous flavours with some minerality on the finish.
£1395 (case of 6 in bond)
Richebourg, 2006
The vineyard of Richebourg originally belonged to a neighbouring monastery before it was sold off in 1790 as a national estate. It is now considered one of the best non-monopole vineyards in Vosne-Romanée. This 2006 is very expressive on the nose with spice, meaty aromas and an elegant oak character. This has lots of complexity on the palate, with a rich structure, firm tannins, all supported by wonderful a natural acidity. A very long and elegant finish rounds this off perfectly.
£2100 (case of 6 in bond)
Romanée St-Vivant, 2006
These are from vineyards right up against the village of Vosne-Romané and, as is the case with Echézeaux, Grands Echézeaux and Richebourg, DRC is the major land holder. According to Clive Coates MW, this is most feminine of the Vosne Grands-Crus. It certainly lives up to that in 2006. The wine is very perfumed on the nose and has expressive aromas of sherry with some spice. Elegant, red fruit concentration is supported by high acidity and a complex structure. The tannins are grainy and fine. This ends very long, with pure fruit on the finish.
£2195 (case of 6 in bond)
La Tâche, 2006
This vineyard, the most southerly of the Grands Crus, is subdivided into two sectors: La Tâche and La Tâche-Gaudichots, covering 6ha. On the nose, this Grand Cru has spice and red dark fruits with some herbaceous notes. A very defined structure with natural acidity and very pure fruits, this is the most muscular wine of the Romanée-Conti range. The wine is still very compact but will open up with time.
£2450 (case of 6 in bond)
Romanée-Conti, 2006
This tiny (1.81ha) and much-lauded vineyard is surrounded by class. To the north, Les Richebourgs; to the south, La Grande Rue and La Tâche; to the east, Liger-Belair’s La Romanée; and to the west Romanée St-Vivant. This a contender for the greatest vineyard in Burgundy. The wine itself shows superb minerality on the nose with delicate red fruit and spice. Lots of finesse and an elegant structure on the palate. Refined with lots of layers and silky tannins, this wine is full of complexity and concentration, but it’s also the most elegant and intense of all the Grands Crus. Truly outstanding.
£7795 (case of 6 in bond)
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