Romanee Conti Vertical Tasting at Cafe Maxx

"Wine is one thing, drunkenness another."  Robert Burton 1577-1640 English Scholar & Clergyman

 

We have already had an incredible line-up of "Once in a Lifetime" events to start off the 2009 tasting series.  The Colgin event was spectacular and our last vintage Bordeaux magnum tasting was incredible the surprise of the night was the 1953 Cantemerle from Magnum held its ground with superstars like the 1964 Petrus.  This Friday we have our second vintage magnum event at Cafe Maxx check out the line-up on our web page there are still a few seats left for this surely epic event. 

Of all the great events that we have done over the years the tasting coming up Saturday March 21st will be the granddaddy of them all.  This event will feature the wines of Domaine de la Romanee Conti featuring a vertical selection of their most prized wine Romanee Conti going back to the 1959 vintage.  We only have 3 spaces open for this event and the price once again is an incredible value considering that your ticket is less that the price of most of the individual bottles that we will be showing this evening.  Chef Oliver Saucy will be making a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines and we will be ordering off the menu for dinner, The fee for this tasting is $2950 all-inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

We have a large offering of the wines of Domaine de La Romanee Conti following the info about the Domaine, these wines are considered the ultimate “Blue Chip” collectibles from Burgundy, so if you stock portfolio is letting you down you may want to consider these liquid assets.

 

Cafe Maxx and Wine Watch Present
Domaine de la Romanee Conti Tasting
Saturday March 21st
7:30pm

Reception

Montrachet 1996                  
List $3900

(98) One of the greatest wines of the incredible 1996 vintage with knockout aromas of white flowers, green apples and a touch of oak spice all framed by an intense minerality followed by discreet, understated flavors that are so focused that they're entirely crystalline in nature. This just oozes class and breed and the balance is perfect with acidity that exquisitely highlights each nuance yet remains in the background as a supporting, rather than a dominating, element. Seamless from the explosive fruit to the finish that persists literally for minutes. This is an emotionally compelling wine and one cannot drink it and remain indifferent. A reference standard expression of the terroir and incontestably one of the finest wines of this great vintage. Beg, borrow or steal but don't miss this wine. Note: to those who are looking for the usual frank opulence of the DRC style, it simply isn't present in this wine, at least not yet Rather, this is more Chevalier than Montrachet just now and this is one that may very well see its 50th birthday entirely intact. Multiple and consistent notes.  Tasted: Oct 01, 2006  Drink: 2010+  Burghound Issue 24

Tasting Line-Up

Romanee Conti 1959            
List $5000

(93) One of the greatest post war vintages as well as one of the extremely few big volume/high quality vintages of 20th century, along with '29, '34, '90 and '99. A very ripe and fully mature nose that displays just a hint of volatile acidity along with exceptional spiciness and one that is now beginning to show its age with sweet, round and impressively rich flavors that are intense and mouth coating on the admirably long finish. In sum, a wine of seduction. Note - because of the young vines, '59 is not a genuinely great vintage for Romanée-Conti but it's still a wine of considerable class and grace. I would be drinking up sooner than later as it's not clear how long it will remain at this plateau. Consistent notes.  Tasted: Apr 28, 2007 Drink: Now Burghound

La Tache 1978
List $4900

(92) "1978 is a great vintage and very rich; perfect now". Aubert de Villaine. Meadows: 1978 was marked by a miserable growing season and it wasn't until the last 3 weeks before the harvest where very hot weather set in and essentially saved the vintage. The Domaine did not begin picking until October 16, an incredibly late date by today's standards, when it is rare to see anyone picking in October. 1978 is incontrovertibly the greatest vintage up to '93, easily surpassing '85, '88 and '89 and edging out '90. Whether '93 will eventually be its equal still remains to be seen.). Strong hoisin, soy and Asian spice notes but this is finally beginning to thin just a bit after a long run of drinking perfectly. The flavors remain the concentrated, sweet, very rich essence of mature burg with superb length and quality depth though it no longer possesses the detail and finesse it once did. This is still a wonderful wine but most bottles in my experience have seen their best days as the alcohol is now showing strongly and it should be drunk over the next 5 to at most 10 years. Consistent notes.  Tasted: Apr 06, 2008  Drink: Now Burghound

Richebourg 1978
List $1900

(94) Remarkably ripe, in fact this is the ripest nose I can ever remember a bottle of the '78 Richebourg showing followed by rich, elegant, fantastically complex flavors and truly outstanding length. If one wanted to nit pick, a bit more acid balance would be nice but I like this a lot as it's incredibly seductive. Impressive and '78 is one of those rare vintages where the Richebourg surpasses the La Tâche. Relatively consistent notes. Tasted: Sep 21, 2003  Drink: Now+ Burghound

Romanee Conti 1978
List $6500

(95) My experience with the '78 has been mixed as well though the bottle tasted at Le Cirque was the freshest I have ever had. Almost completely bricked through. A classic RC nose that also evidences notes of caramel and brown sugar with delicious, seductive and velvety flavors that are still quite powerful and notably concentrated, all wrapped in an explosive finish of seriously admirable length. This really coats the palate with dry extract the penetrating minerality really comes through right at the end, just when you think the finish has lasted as long as it's going to. While not a truly phenomenal vintage for RC, I have always liked this wine though it has clearly peaked and even though it will certainly last for more than the next decade, the average bottle is displaying the initial signs of decline and for my tastes, I would be drinking it up over the next decade. That said, the best bottles are indeed sublime.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2008  Drink: now Burghound Issue 29

Echezeaux 1988
List $925

(91) Powerful and expressive aromas of spice, sous bois, remnants of red fruit and warm earth lead to more spice and very strong notes of underbrush and decaying leaves on the palate. However, the finish is still very intense and packs very good punch and the backend has more than a touch of rusticity to it. This is still in fine condition and while there is no further improvement to be had, neither is there any risk of imminent decline either. Tasted multiple times, consistent notes. Tasted: Jan 01, 2004  Drink: now Burghound Issue 13

Grand Echezeaux 1988
List $1350

(93) Powerfully ripe and expressive aromas that display a wonderfully spicy mix of sous bois and very warm earth notes followed by quite ripe and intense flavors underpinned by noticeable finishing structure that has a slightly rustic character to it. This is still quite vibrant and may very well outlive all of the DRC '78s with the possible exception of the Romanée-Conti. In short, this is a classic Grands-Echézeaux. Consistent notes. Tasted: Jul 01, 2006  Drink: now+ Burghound Issue 23
 
La Tache 1988
List $1400

(92) "1978 is a great vintage and very rich; perfect now". Aubert de Villaine. Meadows: 1978 was marked by a miserable growing season and it wasn't until the last 3 weeks before the harvest where very hot weather set in and essentially saved the vintage. The Domaine did not begin picking until October 16, an incredibly late date by today's standards, when it is rare to see anyone picking in October. 1978 is incontrovertibly the greatest vintage up to '93, easily surpassing '85, '88 and '89 and edging out '90. Whether '93 will eventually be its equal still remains to be seen.). Strong hoisin, soy and Asian spice notes but this is finally beginning to thin just a bit after a long run of drinking perfectly. The flavors remain the concentrated, sweet, very rich essence of mature burg with superb length and quality depth though it no longer possesses the detail and finesse it once did. This is still a wonderful wine but most bottles in my experience have seen their best days as the alcohol is now showing strongly and it should be drunk over the next 5 to at most 10 years. Consistent notes.  Tasted: Apr 06, 2008  Drink: Now Burghound

Richebourg 1988
List $1400

(94) Remarkably ripe, in fact this is the ripest nose I can ever remember a bottle of the '78 Richebourg showing followed by rich, elegant, fantastically complex flavors and truly outstanding length. If one wanted to nit pick, a bit more acid balance would be nice but I like this a lot as it's incredibly seductive. Impressive and '78 is one of those rare vintages where the Richebourg surpasses the La Tâche. Relatively consistent notes. Tasted: Sep 21, 2003  Drink: Now+ Burghound

Romanee Conti 1988
List $5000

(95) My experience with the '78 has been mixed as well though the bottle tasted at Le Cirque was the freshest I have ever had. Almost completely bricked through. A classic RC nose that also evidences notes of caramel and brown sugar with delicious, seductive and velvety flavors that are still quite powerful and notably concentrated, all wrapped in an explosive finish of seriously admirable length. This really coats the palate with dry extract the penetrating minerality really comes through right at the end, just when you think the finish has lasted as long as it's going to. While not a truly phenomenal vintage for RC, I have always liked this wine though it has clearly peaked and even though it will certainly last for more than the next decade, the average bottle is displaying the initial signs of decline and for my tastes, I would be drinking it up over the next decade. That said, the best bottles are indeed sublime.  Tasted: Apr 06, 2008  Drink: Now+ Burghound

Romanee Conti 1990
List $10,000

(99) Medium ruby color. Initially, this is aromatically tight and closed but after 2 hours, it absolutely explodes from the glass with a breathtaking panoply of Asian spices, exotic fruit aromas and a touch of earth followed by rich, lush, almost opulent flavors that melt in the mouth and coat the palate with a layer of velvet on the fantastically long finish. This is a dramatic wine in every sense of the word yet it's not at all showy but rather discreet and understated. I particularly like the sense of inner power and purity of expression and this is as good a post '45 RC as I ever hope to drink. It should last for another 50 years and if you ever have the chance, don't miss it! Save for one so-so bottle, I have very consistent notes.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2008  Drink: 2020+ Burghound Issue 29

Romanee Conti 2000
List $5000

(95) Brooding, backward and quite a bit more reserved and less expressive with subtly spicy black fruit aromas trimmed by a subtle hint of oak and followed by restrained, pure, gorgeously sappy and harmonious, completely seductive flavors that offer the best delineation of any of these wines. This is extraordinarily fine and detailed with length that lasts and lasts. Though this will undoubtedly add weight and complexity, it will likely always be understated and refined rather than powerful. This is a simply sublime combination of spice, silk and velvet delivered in a perfect sphere of impeccable balance. Incredible by any standard but especially so for the vintage.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2003  Drink: 2015-25 Burghound Issue 9

Romanee Conti 2004
List $4250

(95) This too is sublime in its subtlety and grace with ineffably pure aromas and it strikes a balance between the opulence of the RSV and the restraint of the GE with an expressive yet ultra fine nose of rose petals, violets and seductive spice notes that introduce unbelievably refined flavors that seem crafted from silk and lace, culminating in a linear, mouth coating finish that detonates like a bomb and lasts and lasts. At present, this is taut and precise with the lithe muscularity of a world class gymnast yet it is not lean or unduly tight as there is a generosity to the mid-palate that serves to buffer the underlying tannic spine that will permit this to age for decades. This is clearly a great wine that epitomizes the concept of power without weight. Tasted: Jan 01, 2007  Drink: 2018+ Burghound Issue 25

A bit about Domaine de La Romanee Conti:

Probably the most sought after wines by collectors of fine Burgundies are the wines of Domaine De La Romanée Conti (also called simply DRC).  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. 

DRC wines available for purchase:

2005 Romanee Conti Magnum
Sale $34,500
( 1 bottle available)

(99+) An exceptionally floral yet restrained nose with aromas of both rose and violets that combine with a panoply of spice notes yet the overall impression is classic young RC as the nose is both cool and reserved yet aristocratic. The sweet, intense, focused, detailed and vibrant flavors offer superb drive and punch though there is not the sheer scale of the LT yet they're finer and somehow even purer, indeed absolutely crystalline though I kept asking myself how this was possible as the purity of the La Tâche is itself mind blowing. The descriptor of 'power without weight' came to mind again and again as the flavors slide down the throat with no sense of heaviness yet the impact and precision of the presently somewhat austere finish is quite simply hard to believe. In a word, this is mind bending and in a visceral sense, this is a monumental wine that of real emotional impact. Genius in a glass. Tasted: Jan 01, 2008  Drink: 2025+ Burghound Issue 29

2004 Le Montrachet
Sale $1987
(1 bottle available)

(95) A deft touch of wood frames very ripe aromas of honeysuckle, spice, white flower, peach, pear and anise that introduce remarkably powerful and full-bodied flavors oozing with dry extract that buffers the firm acid spine on the hugely long finish. This is a flat out big wine by any standard but it's particularly massive by the standards of the 2004 vintage which generally produced leaner and more elegant wines. However here the dry extract levels are such that the finish is almost chewy yet this is as refined and pure as any recent vintage with the possible exception of the '96. This will require at least a decade to be at its best and not surprisingly, it would be advisable to give it this time as the overall impression is closed, reticent and youthfully austere at present. I very much like the '04 version but for those used to greater flamboyancy à la the 2003, it would perhaps be better to choose another vintage as this is likely to always remain a discreet wines by the standards of the Domaine's Montrachet.  Tasted: Jul 01, 2007  Drink: 2014+ Burghound Issue 27

2001 Assorted Case
Sale $13,999
(2-12pk Original Wood Case)

This case contains:  1 bottle Romanée-Conti, 3 bottles La Tâche, 2 bottles Richebourg, 3 bottles Romanée-Saint-Vivant, 2 bottles Grands-Echézeaux, 1 bottle Echézeaux

2001 Grand Echezeaux
Sale $820
(1-6pk Original Wood Case)

(93) All the promise this showed in my last review (see Issue 13) is alive and well and while the floral yet extremely earthy nose with elegant ripe, pure, intense, beautifully delineated crushed black fruit aromas is still quite expressive, the plum and anise laced flavors have begun to close down. The finish displays firm, dusty, almost robust structure yet the tannins themselves seem refined and overall, this is an incredibly powerful wine, indeed even a forceful one but with no lack of class. Terrific upside potential here.  Tasted: Jul 01, 2006  Drink: 2016+ Burghound Issue 23

2001 Richebourg
Sale $950
(1-6pk Original Wood Case)

(94) Not as deeply colored as the RSV. As is often the case, this is aromatically austere though with coaxing, reveals wonderfully complex aromas of a simply incredible array of black fruits, earth, spice, crushed herbs and notes of chocolate with flavors that are supple, rich and even more powerful but not as complex or elegant as the RSV though it gets high marks for its superb detail. I particularly like the stupendously long and incredibly intense finish that offers a surprising sensation of almost pungent minerality.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2004  Drink: 2018-35 Burghound Issue 13

2001 Romanee St Vivant
Sale $805
(1-6pk Original Wood Case)

(92-94) Classic RSV nose of soaring Asian spices, ripe plum and a gamut of ripe, pure and lacy red and black fruits with the latter predominating all wrapped together with a seductive kiss of sweetly scented, highly perfumed violets; the nose is, in a word, intoxicating. All of this aromatic intensity leads to remarkably powerful, borderline robust flavors that show simply unbelievable complexity and stunning length. While this is not as dense as the incredible 1999, it will very likely surpass every other RSV from the Domaine in recent memory. I believe that it's clear that all of the vineyard work that has been done in this vineyard is very clearly paying off. A terrific effort and if it adds a bit of weight, this should score at the top of my range.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2003  Drink: 2015-25 Burghound Issue 9

2001 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee St. Vivant Grand Cru
Sale $660
(2 bottles available)

(96) This displays a positively classic nose of soaring Asian spices, ripe plum and a gamut of ripe, pure and lacy red and black fruits with the latter predominating all wrapped together with a seductive kiss of sweetly scented, highly perfumed violets; the nose is, in a word, intoxicating. All of this aromatic intensity leads to remarkably powerful, linear, borderline robust flavors that show simply unbelievable complexity and stunning length. This will very likely surpass every other RSV from the Domaine in recent memory. A dazzling effort.  Tasted: Apr 01, 2005  Drink: 2016+  Issue 18, Burghound

2001 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru
Sale $506
(1 bottle available)

(92) Knockout sexy black fruit aromas trimmed in a deft touch of oak and distinct animal notes with expressive, full, pure, sweet and quite powerful flavors and a long, persistent, mouth coating finish. The amount of sève is impressive as is the sheer spiciness and this is a good deal more refined than it usually is. A great vintage for this wine.
Tasted: Jan 01, 2004 Drink: 2013-20 Issue 13, Burghound

2000 Assorted Case
Sale $14,256
(2-12pk Original Wood Case)

This case contains:  1 bottle Romanée-Conti, 3 bottles La Tâche, 2 bottles Richebourg, 3 bottles Romanée-Saint-Vivant, 2 bottles Grands-Echézeaux, 1 bottle Echézeaux

2000 Grand Echezeaux
Sale $565
(1-6pk Original Wood Case)

(91)  There is a hint of reduction and I would decant this first. Finer and more elegant nose combining very rich, forward, expressive aromas of cherries, fresh crushed raspberries and yet more floral notes that merge seamlessly with round, supple yet quite intense flavors that offer better depth and concentration than the Echézeaux plus outstanding length. This remains very pinot in character with dusty tannins and sweet, mouth coating sap buffering it. A very good if not outstanding Grands Echézeaux that will drink well young but should keep well.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2004  Drink: 2009-2018 Burghound Issue 13

2000 Romanee St Vivant
Sale $795
(1-6pk Original Wood Case)

(91) At this early point, there was virtually no difference between this bottle and the 750 ml, the review of which is: Brooding, backward and quite a bit more reserved and less expressive with subtly spicy black fruit aromas trimmed by a subtle hint of oak and followed by restrained, pure, gorgeously sappy and harmonious, completely seductive flavors that offer the best delineation of any of these wines. This is extraordinarily fine and detailed with length that lasts and lasts. Though this will undoubtedly add weight and complexity, it will likely always be understated and refined rather than powerful. This is a simply sublime combination of spice, silk and velvet delivered in a perfect sphere of impeccable balance. Incredible by any standard but especially so for the vintage.  Tasted: Mar 05, 2005  Drink: Try from 2020+ in this format Burghound

2000 Richebourg
Sale $830
(1-6pk Original Wood Case)

(92) Extremely ripe, indeed even notes of torrefaction and roast espresso beans precede big, robust, forceful austere black fruit flavors that have slightly drying tannins but not as much density and length as usual. Really quite regal but in more of a middle weight than its normal massive, well muscled and structured character. This isn't at the usual level of excellence at the moment but there is so much sap that I believe it will come together.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2003  Drink: 2011-20 Burghound Issue 9

2000 la Tache
Sale $1340
(2-6pk Original Wood Case)

(92) Quite deeply colored with the classic La Tâche nose of dried rose petals plus a fantastic array of aromas and spices too numerous to even try to describe that lead to fine, detailed and beautifully textured flavors and terrific length. This is not a La Tâche for the ages as it simply doesn't have the structure and density but it is remarkably complex and has sneaky finishing intensity. I liked this a lot for its superb style, grace and penetrating minerality but those who expect the usual level of power and structure won't find it in the 2000. This is actually approachable now though it should age for at least a decade, perhaps longer, simply on the incredible balance that it displays.  Tasted: Oct 01, 2003  Drink: 2012-201  Burghound Issue 12

1999 Montrachet
Sale $2332
(1 bottle available)

(93) Massively rich with laser beam-like focus of elegant white flower fruit, rich, lemon tinged flavors of wonderful purity, good complexity and terrific length. The balance, flavor detail and elegance, not to mention raw power is something to behold. If this continues to add weight and power, my rating will certainly prove to be conservative.  Tasted: Jul 01, 2002  Drink: 2008-17+  Burghound Issue 7

1997 Mixed Case
Sale $14,170/cs
(2-12 bottle cases available)

1 bottle Romanée-Conti, 3 bottles La Tâche, 2 bottles Richebourg, 3 bottles Romanée-Saint-Vivant, 1 bottle Grands-Echézeaux, 2 bottles Echézeaux

1997 Richebourg
Sale $950/btl.
(1-6pk Original Wood Case)

(92) An expressive nose amply reflects the ripeness of the '97 vintage with its floral and spicy black berry fruit aromas that are both elegant and refined while transitioning into rich, sweet and full-bodied flavors that possess good muscle and solid if not sensational depth and length. In sum, this is a quality '97 that should benefit from another 5 or so years in the cellar.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2008  Drink: 2012+  Burghound Issue 29

1997 Romanne St. Vivant
Sale $635/btl.
(1-3pk Original Wood Case)

(88) Like several of the DRC '97s, this has a floral quality to the fruit with good if not great spiciness though there is lovely aromatic breadth. While this is perfectly pleasant, it is not exceptional with relatively low acidity and at this point less complexity than one might reasonably expect. In terms of drinkability, it is already approachable though for my taste, I would be inclined to let is slumber in the cellar for another few years. In sum, a solid but by no means a great effort, particularly in comparison with the current exceptional quality standard we have seen in the last few vintages.  Tasted: Jan 01, 2008  Drink: 2011+ Burghound Issue 29

1996 La Tache
Sale $2000
(2 bottles available)

(96) "it's quite possible that the '96 will be the longest lived of any La Tâche produced in many years" - AdV). Fantastically pure with the classic spice box, hoisin and soy nose followed by big, rich, very structured flavors that display notes of earth, leather and tea. The tannins are big, ripe and are completely buffered by the sap with length that is simply phenomenal. This remains completely primary in character and seems not to have budged at all since it was bottled. A genuinely great vintage for La Tâche that is softer in the mouth than the '96 Grands Ech and this should improve for another decade and last for 50 years. Very classy juice. Note: while it's happened only twice, the '96 can be intensely vegetal on the nose and not exhibit the purity that the wine is justifiably famous for; however, I have tasted so many outstanding bottles of the '96 LT that I view these two examples as outliers.  Tasted: Jul 28, 2007  Drink: 2014+ Burghound

1996 Richebourg
Sale $1145
(2 bottles available)

(92) A gorgeous, spicy and expressive nose of mostly black fruit aromas combines with rich, sweet and still tight medium full and quite firmly structured flavors that possess a long though slightly edgy and austere finish. This bottle showed better than the one reviewed in the big Richebourg retrospective held in October, 2001. I would not touch another bottle for at least 5 years and this easily has 20 year+ potential as it will require a long time to completely unwind. Tasted on multiple occasions with consistent notes. Tasted: Dec 30, 2006  Drink: 2012+ Burghound

1995 Romanee Conti
Sale $6480
(2 bottles available)

(95)  An opulent, spicy, lush, highly floral and powerfully complex nose merges seamlessly with deep, classy, sappy, simply gorgeous, fresh flavors that offer incredible depth and purity of expression. Classy, pure and the length doesn't seem to quit. The 95 isn't an especially big wine and though it's by no means shy, the breadth of flavors and underlying nuance seems endless. If there is a nit, there is just a hint of finishing dryness that disappears with food but a careful taster will notice it. Otherwise, this is extremely impressive and though it can be approached now with extended airing, I would continue to cellar it and there is no question in my mind that it should continue to age effortlessly for years.  Tasted: Apr 28, 2007  Drink: Try from 2017+ Burghound

1995 Richebourg
Sale $1253
(1 bottle available)

(93) This too is reserved and restrained with an almost completely closed nose that reveals only glimpses of fresh black fruit even after extended aeration. The flavors however are rich and offer excellent detail and are underpinned by dense yet ripe tannins and good extract. I very much like the style of this though it is clearly for the patient and I suspect this will always have a rather strict personality. This has put on a bit of weight and a bit of richness since the big Richebourg tasting in '01 and appears to be better balanced than the prior bottle but otherwise, it is quite similar.  Tasted: Nov 13, 2003  Drink: 2010-25 Burghound

1990 Echezeaux
Sale $950/btl.
(6pk Original Wood)

(91) Intense, ripe and slightly roasted black fruit nose with developing complexity that leads to rich, full-bodied, rounded, sweet flavors underpinned by big tannins and the wine finishes with grand cru quality length. This is quite big and certainly dramatic but for all its richness and power, it's not an elegant wine per se. All of that said, it's still quite youthful and still require a few more years to reveal its full potential. Multiple and consistent notes.  Tasted: Nov 22, 2005  Drink: Try from 2008+ Burghound

1979 Domaine De La Romanee Conti Richebourg Grand Cru (3 Liter)
Sale $6900.00
(1 bottle available)

(93)  Bricking now to an amber/ruby center. As are many '79s at this point, the nose is wonderfully expressive with strong hoison and spice aromas plus hints of rose petals, earth and sous bois. The rich, medium weight flavors are now quite supple and display a hint of the sauvage with a sweet, round, supple finish and fine length. There is no reason to delay opening this any longer though if stored well, it should continue to hold for another decade and it's possible that the touch of finishing structure will dissipate. Note: another bottle opened recently was also lovely but not as good as the one described above, largely due to excess CO2 on the finish that never did completely dissipate. 89/now  Tasted: Nov 22, 2005 Drink: Now Burghound

1966 Romanee Conti Magnum
Sale $21,600
(1 bottle available)

(96) From a bottle with 1 1/2" of ullage and an original cork). Two bottles were opened as the first, with a relatively low fill, was plagued with volatile acidity and clearly not what the wine is capable of delivering. The second bottle however was perhaps the best one that I have ever encountered. Interestingly, the Romanée-Conti possesses perhaps the freshest nose on any of the DRC '66s from regular 750 ml format as it immediately soars from the glass to reveal a classic RC nose of hoisin, spice, dark fruit, caramel and touches of earth, underbrush and a hint of game that is followed by rich, sweet and smoky medium full flavors that completely coat the palate and explode on the mineral-infused finish. A seriously impressive wine that is class in a glass and this is an exceptionally seductive RC for the usual underlying reserve is missing in action. In sum, a phenomenal performance for the relatively young vines. Save for the one bottle noted above, I have consistent notes.  Tasted: Apr 28, 2007  Drink: Now Burghound