Domaine Leroy vs Domaine de la Romanee Conti Burgundy Tasting at Wine Watch

"Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine." 
Genesis 27:28

Unfortunately god did not give us plenty of Domaine de La Romanee Conti.  One of the reasons that this is one of the most expensive wines on the planet earth is that they only make a few hundred cases of each of these Grand Cru wines from any vintage.  The other reason is that they have had a thousand years of marketing in the wine industry.  There are not many regions of the wine world that have the history of Burgundy's Cote D'Or and with that history comes a very high price tag.

One of the most sought after wines by collectors of fine Burgundies are the wines of Domaine De La Romanée Conti.  They carry a sort of mystique about them that you only find in collectibles such as a Picasso, or a Rembrant- things that only an elite few can afford to own and even fewer really appreciate.  

Talk of Lafite or Mouton or the upstart Petrus pales in significance when one considers that this precious piece of earth was a sacred spot five centuries before the first words were ever written about claret.  Consider, for example, the significance of that crisp, fall day in 1241 when the landscape was red with the color of wine, and the air was laden with the smell of it.  The monks gathered in their Abbey at the Vosne and decided to sell the vineyard of Romanée-Conti.  They had owned it for almost 200 years and it was a monumental event when it returned to private hands.  Over the ensuing centuries, inheritance laws and the wave of anti-clericism that followed the French Revolution caused the great growths of Burgundy to be divided into a thousand meager plots.  So sacred was the vineyard of Romanée-Conti, that it never once sub-divided through nine changes of ownership.

The vineyard was once called La Romanée until it was purchased by the Prince de Conti in 1760.  De Conti acquired the vineyard only after a great struggle.  The other contestant was King Louis the Fourteenth’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour.  The prince held a banquet to celebrate the acquisition; underscoring the significance of the event was the fact that it was attended by figures such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau; even a very young Mozart was there to play the harpsichord.  When the Conti fled France during the revolution, Romanée-Conti changed hands several more times – among its owners was Napoleon’s banker.

Today’s proprietors, the Leroys and the De Villaines, have run the Domaine jointly since 1942.  After an emotional power struggle, Aubert De Villaine, who has co-managed the Domaine for 19 years, has emerged from the shadows of the ubiquitous and flamboyant Madame Bize Leroy (who was booted out by the De Villaines and other members of the Leroy family for alleged conflicts of interest).

Many critics, in describing these wines, talk of the continuity of house style and the winemaking genius of the Domaine.  The quietly purposeful Aubert De Villaine takes a little credit for the greatness of these wines.  He speaks of the “genius of the terroir” and of the Domaine’s efforts to keep the winemaking as simple and natural as possible.  American viticulturists may think they have a corner on organic farming, but De Villaine notes that the Domaine’s wines are 100 percent organic.  There are no sprays or pesticides used in the vineyard.  Although De Villaine pays homage to technology and talks of clonal research, he stresses that everything is done to ensure as little manipulation of the wine is done as possible.  Except for the 100 percent new oak, which is used with every one of the Domaine’s wines and the fact that as of 1995 the wines are no longer bottled by barrel (which critics claimed caused bottle variation), one gets the impression that things are done much in the same manner as they were 100 years ago.  De Villaine is succinct:  “There is more to be learned in what not to do than there is in what to do.  Nothing is more difficult than to be simple”.

There are some wine writers that feel there is somewhat of a secret when it comes to the wines of this fabled estate.  Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate has stated that the Domaine’s use of lightly toasted François Frères barrels (the preferred source for most of the great estates of the Côte d’Or), which are air dried for three years prior to use, could have something to do with it.  However, Bernard Noblet, the cellar master, has assured that they are neither steam cleaned nor are they rubbed with any special ointments as speculation has suggested. 

This tasting is $895 per person + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.  We will also accept a bottle of DRC or Leroy wines of equal value as payment for this event. 

Leroy Versus DRC Burgundy Tasting
Friday, February 5, 2016
7:30 PM

Two of Burgundy's elite will face off this evening!  This will be a "Once in a Lifetime" tasting to remember!!  They all are but this kicks off my 47th B-day celebration- there will be 1969 vintage Burgundy on the table tonight!!!

2007 Domaine De La Romanee Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru
Price: $1398.00

Note: approximately 45 year old vines from 2 different climats, 90% of which is in Les Poulaillères and the other 10% is in Clos St. Denis; there was a lot of replanting done here in the decades of the sixties and seventies

(90 Points) obvious earth notes that transfer over to the detailed, balanced and energetic flavors that possess excellent transparency on the vibrant and mouth coating finish. There is a lingering inner mouth perfume here that makes this quite seductive. Not surprisingly, this changed rather dramatically in the hour that I had to evaluate the '07s and the seemingly lighter weight flavors put on noticeable flesh though the nose slowly closed in on itself. Tasted: Jan 30, 2010 Drink: 2017+  Burghound

2004 Domaine Leroy Nuits St Georges

This was a very unique vintage for Leroy, she made no Grand Cru wines this year and all of the juice went into the village wines.  Truly stunning for a village level wine from anyone but we always expect Leroy to be top quality.

1997 Domaine de La Romanee Conti Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru

(91 points) The ruby-colored 1997 Grands-Echezeaux offers red and black raspberry liqueur aromas. It is a medium-to-full-bodied, oily-textured wine that possesses good power and density. Smoked bacon, sweet wax, and spices are found in the fat, plump, seductive offering. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. Wine Advocate #125 Oct 1999

1990 Leroy Nuits St Geroges Boudots 1er Cru
Price: $800

(94 Points) Of the five outstanding offerings from the village of Nuits St.-Georges, the most exotic and flashy is the Nuits St.-Georges-Aux Boudots. The huge nose of roasted meats, pure black-raspberries, and herbs soars from the glass. Full-bodied, with layer upon layer of rich, unctuous Pinot fruit, this super-concentrated, voluptuously textured wine is so rich that the formidable tannin levels are nearly concealed. The finish goes on and on. + Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

1990 Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache Grand Cru
Price: $4875.00

(100 Points)  I cannot think of a more profound, young red Burgundy tasted than DRC's 1990 La Tache. Although it still requires another 3-4 years of cellaring, it is incredibly endowed, with an extraordinary perfume of Asian spices as well as jammy black raspberries, cherries, and blackberries infused with smoke, toast, and dried herbs. Full-bodied, but ethereal, with layers of flavor, as well as mind-boggling delicacy and complexity, this youthful La Tache will be at its finest between 2004-2015. eRobertParker.com, Feb 2002

1990 Leroy Gevrey Chambertin Les Combottes 1er Cru

(93 Points) The Gevrey-Chambertin-Les Combottes is much more decadent and showy than the Chambolle-Musigny-Les Fremieres. The sweet nose of coffee, caramel, black-cherries, and earth is a turn-on. In the mouth, this full-bodied, voluptuously textured, superbly concentrated wine with no hard edges exhibits lavish quantities of jammy fruit buttressed nicely by new oak, decent acidity, and moderate tannins. Robert Parker’s- The Wine Advocate

1980 Domaine de La Romanee Conti Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru

It is "Grands" before being Echézeaux. It is a contry gentleman, aristocrat and dreamer, who idles willingly with the unhurried step of his horse in a forest filled with the scents of sundry mushrooms, of mosses, of dead decaying leaves, of furtive small game, which spill forth in a multitude of shifting alliances. All of that is expressed delicately, in a refined, musical tongue, concise and pure like the message of a Mozart quartet..

1978 Leroy Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

(95 Points)  (from a recent Leroy cellar release). Heavy bricking but still with a ruby core. The icy Leroy cellar conditions definitely show as this is remarkably fresh and vibrant yet there is ample sous bois and secondary fruit in evidence that complements the nicely pure, complex and superbly rich medium full flavors that really stain the palate with extract on the still mildly austere but explosive finish. Like the '78 Mazis, this is not an elegant wine but the sheer depth and length are really something to behold. Note that initially there was a touch of funk but it quickly blew off.  Tasted: Apr 06, 2008  Drink: Now+  Burghound

Menu
Selection of cheese: Epoisses, Brie and Chevre
Seared Tuna with Foie Gras Sauce and potato crisp
Duck confit with cherry reduction and Truffle mushroom ragout

This tasting is $895 per person + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com  we will also accept a bottle of DRC or Leroy wines of equal value as payment for this event.  Only 14 seats available!!