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98 Robert Parker
The 2009 Romanee-Conti is surprisingly huge and even obvious in this vintage. That isn’t a problem, just an observation. Romanee-Conti can be an elusive, intensely cerebral wine, but not in 2009. Floral notes add lift on the vivid, kaleidoscopic finish. Today the Romanee-Conti is all about breathtaking exuberance and richness. This is a breathtaking bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2029-2059. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s 2009s have turned out just as brilliantly as I had hoped. The wines reflect the signature qualities of the year, but never lose their essential classicism. Long-time DRC fans know the domaine bottles in six-barrel lots, which naturally introduces a level of bottle variation that is not found in most other wines. I hope the massive amount of information that has recently come to light regarding counterfeit wines and their proliferation might be the catalyst for the domaine to consider bottling their wines in one homogenous lot, as is common for the vast majority of high-quality wines throughout the world. Once the domaine’s wines mature in 20-30 years it will be impossible to tell the difference between ‘normal’ bottle variation, poorly stored bottles and very good fakes. Certainly consumers who are willing and able to pay the prices these wines fetch are at the very least deserving of a consistent product
98 Wine Spectator
Pretty floral, black currant leaf, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors exhibit fine intensity, and the overall impression is one of energy. What sets the 2009 R-C apart is its power and assertive tannins. Though a little reticent today, its potential will be revealed over time.—Non-blind 2009 DRC tasting (February 2012). Best from 2017 through 2040
98 Wine Spectator
Pretty floral, black currant leaf, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors exhibit fine intensity, and the overall impression is one of energy. What sets the 2009 R-C apart is its power and assertive tannins. Though a little reticent today, its potential will be revealed over time.—Non-blind 2009 DRC tasting (February 2012). Best from 2017 through 2040
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.