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95 Robert Parker
The 1997 Romanee-Conti reveals a saturated dark ruby color as well as a mouth-watering nose of leather, juniper berries, cherries, and spices. On the palate, it marvelously combines the powerful, ripe fruit characteristic of the vintage with magnificent delineation and elegance. This soy sauce, licorice, flower, as well as blackberry flavored wine is dense and concentrated, yet lace-like and gloriously precise. It stands, as is expected given its rarity, price, and reputation, as one of the stars of the vintage. Projected maturity: 2001-2012+.
Producer
Domaine de la Romanée Conti
Not only the most iconic domaine in Burgundy, but also possibly in France and even in the world. With a monopoly of the two greatest vineyards - Romanée-Conti and La Tâche - and with a generous handful of some others within Vosne-Romanée and beyond, it secured its revered position all while being completely discreet and even modest. It is co-owned by the Villaine and Leroy-Roch families, with Aubert de Villaine guiding the ship since 1974. But it can trace its roots back to the 13th century, when its first vines were planted by the monks of Saint-Vivant. They have been organic since the 1980s and biodynamic since the 1990s. They are also undoubtedly the most famous domaine in the region that uses (and has always used) whole cluster fermentation, an established technique that was eschewed by Henri Jayer, but has inspired many others in recent years. Allen Meadows, arguably the most knowledgeable Burgundy expert and critic in the world, has only given one wine a perfect score - the 1945 Romanée-Conti.