Domaine de la Romanee-Conti

The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) stands along at the pinnacle of Burgundy and quite probably the pinnacle of the wine world, for the majesty and complexity of its wines and for its consistency over generations. Owned by the de Villaine and Leroy/Rich families, the domaine has nearly 30 hectares of vineyard and only sells Grand Cru wines, including monopolies of the region’s two finest vineyards, the 6 hectares of La Tâche and 1.8 of Romanée-Conti. There are also significant holdings in Richebourg, Romanée-St.-Vivant, Grands-Échézeaux, Échézeaux, Corton and Le Montrachet. The estate is run biodynamically and winemaking is very hands off. Reds are generally fermented with some stems and the wines are aged in new wood, under the watchful eye of winemaker Alexandre Barnier and gérants Aubert de Villaine and Perrine Fenal. The domaine makes wines of extraordinary concentration, almost sweet tasting in youth with atypical spiciness and velvety texture. With maturity, the fruitiness declines and haunting aromas develop. Sadly they are too expensive for most wine lovers to even try, but once tried, they are never forgotten.