Domaine De La Romanee-Conti
The following wines were offered at The Great Wine Seminar, held in West Palm Beach, Florida, in April 2008.
2001
Echézeaux
Good colour. Fine, rich, plump nose. Good depth and substance. Slightly raw on the palate still. But very good fruit and a nice touch of underlying oak. Not a bit stemmy. Medium to medium-full body. Ripe, round, balanced, vigorous finish. Fine. From 2010.
Grands Echézeaux.
A lighter, more fragrant nose than the Echézeaux. Slightly less weight but more complexity. Very good grip. Lovely fruit. Long and subtle. Lovely finish. Fine plus. From 2010.
Romanée-Saint-Vivant.
Refined nose with a touch of the herbal. Very elegant. Medium weight. Flowery. A lot of intensity. Very good grip. Fine plus. From 2010.
Richebourg.
Rich, fat nose, still a little closed. A much bigger wine than the Romanée-Saint-Vivant. Fat rich and opulent, with very good grip. Lots of vigour and intensity. High class fruit. Lovely finish. Very fine. From 2014.
La Tache.
Full, rich, concentrated nose. Lots of depth. Even more concentration, dimension and volume than the Richebourg. Really rich. Very lovely, classy, pure Pinot. Excellent. From 2014.
1999
Echézeaux.
Fullish colour. Rich, ample, concentrated nose. Not a bit stemmy. Full body. Gently oaky. Fat, balanced and classy. Very long. Very lovely. Fine plus. From 2012.
Grands Echézeaux.
Fullish nose. Rather more closed-in than the Echézeaux. More concentrated. More profound. Full body. Very, very rich and voluptuous. Lots of fruit. Balanced, long, complex and potentially velvety. Very long. Very lovely. From 2014.
Romanée-Saint-Vivant.
Fullish colour. Aromatic. Slightly leaner on the nose and palate than the Grands Echézeaux. A little more adolescent. Not quite the same sex-appeal at present, but longer, more subtle and with more
finesse. From 2013.
Richebourg.
Full colour. A little adolescent on the nose. Rich, profound and closed-in on the palate. Full body. Some tannin. Very concentrated and lots of energy. Still needs quite some time. Excellent follow-through. Very fine indeed. From 2015.
La Tache.
Full colour. Hidden nose. Really very concentrated; even dense. Quite a bit of tannin. Excellent grip. This has very lovely fruit and has lots of dimension and promise. Splendid quality! Potentially a great wine. From 2016.
1996
Echézeaux.
Good mature colour. Lovely subtle, fragrant nose. Now incorporating some of the spices of maturity.
Fat and seductive and complex and most attractive. Long, ripe and lovely. Fine. Now to 2020.
Grands Echézeaux.
Good mature colour. Richer nose than the Echézeaux. Fatter and more hidden. Fullish. Good grip. Still has a bit of tannin to resolve. Lots of energy. Lovely fruit. Very long. Very classy. Fine plus. From 2010.
Roamnée-Saint-Vivant.
Good mature colour. Very lovely Musigny-ish nose. Very lovely fruit on the palate. Soft, ripe and silky-smooth. Medium-full body. Complex, subtle. Very fine. Just about ready. Now to 2020 plus.
Richebourg.
Good mature colour. Big, fat, voluptuous nose. Lots of energy and charm. On the palate still a bit closed. Full body. Some tannin. Rich, ripe and concentrated. Multi-dimensional.
Excellent grip. Lots of personality. Very fine plus. From 2010.
La Tache.
Good mature colour. Really profound, rich nose. Excellent concentration of fruit here. Full body. Lots of energy. Still quite a bit of tannin. Marvelous fruit. Real vigour and depth. Excellent quality. From 2012.
1990
Echézeaux.
Fully mature colour. Rich, spicy and aromatic, if not that stylish on the nose. More 1990 than Echézeaux. Full bodied, concentrated, balanced. Good backbone and depth, in a slightly gamey sort of way. Very good indeed. Now to 2020.
Grands Echézeaux.
Fully mature colour. Quite evolved on the nose, but fresher on the palate. Very lovely fruit. Full body, rich, complex and luscious. Very long and very lovely. Fine plus. Now to 2020 plus.
Romanée-Saint-Vivant.
Fully mature colour. Soft, subtle and naturally sweet on both the nose and the palate. Medium to medium-full body. Complex and harmonious and very lovely. Fully ready. Fine plus. Now to 2015.
Richebourg.
Fully mature colour. Fat, rich, volutuous nose. Full and aromatic. Very fresh and beautifully balanced. Much more Richebourg than 1990. Lots of wine here. Splendid quality. Now to 2020 plus.
La Tache.
Fully mature colour. Full, rich, profound and multi-dimensional on the nose. Very, very lovely, complex, vigorous fruit. Really excellent pure Pinot. Again much more of the terroir than the vintage. A great wine. Now to 2025 plus.