1962 | Domaine de La Romanee Conti | La Tache

Detailed Description

The 1962 Romanée-Conti was breathtaking for its richness, density and a superb finish that seemed to never end. It was an extraordinary, totally seductive wine of the highest level.

Reviews:

• Burghound: While the bottle in the tasting was a bit stewy, a more representative note is: the hauntingly beautiful aromatics that so many ’62s possess (in particular the La Tâche) are present and the Romanée-Conti displays this character in spades with one of the most beguiling noses I have ever experienced. This is fireworks in a glass with simply brilliant aromas of Asian spice, tea, sandalwood, earth, leather, smoke and hints of clove, cinnamon and game. The young vines (replanted just after the war) are in evidence however as this just doesn’t quite have the density to pull off an equally beguiling encore to the perfection of the nose. That said, the regal harmony and purity of the middle weight flavors and superb finishing detail still make this a wine to be reckoned with and one that, in this format anyway, will continue to age for decades. In sum, this is a magnificently elegant wine and if not the best RC ever, the aromatics alone make it one of my favorites.

• Vinous: The 1962 Romanée-Conti was breathtaking for its richness, density and a superb finish that seemed to never end. It was an extraordinary, totally seductive wine of the highest level.

Producer Information

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, or DRC as it is commonly known, is easily Burgundy’s best-known and most collectible wine producer. Based in the Burgundy village of Vosne-Romanée, the domaine sells wines from eight different grand cru vineyards that span the length of the Côte d’Or. The most famous comes from the eponymous Romanée-Conti vineyard, and on average is the most expensive wine in the world. The domaine predominately produces Pinot Noir-based wines from 28 hectares (69 acres) of grand cru vineyard. Alongside Romanée-Conti are La Tâche, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg in Vosne-Romanée; plus Échezeaux and Grands Échezeaux bottlings. Fruit from Corton-Bressandes, Corton Clos du Roi and Corton Renardes is combined in a single Corton Grand Cru red. There are three white (Chardonnay) wines made. Only one of these, the Montrachet is made widely avilable. A Bâtard-Montrachet and a Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits are not publically distributed. Of course, La Romanée-Conti is the domaine’s most famous asset, and the amount of wine made from less than 2ha (5 acres) of land amounts to just 6000 bottles a year. The vineyard has a long history, dating back to the Abbey of Saint-Vivant in the 13th Century. It took on the Romanée name in 1631, and the Conti in 1760.Today, DRC is owned in part by the de Villaine family and in part by the Leroy family. Aubert de Villaine is the figurehead of the company now – although it was famously run by Lalou Bize-Leroy for a time, until a dispute saw her ousted from control.