Romanee Conti, La Tache & Assortment DRC Selection 03/09/2024
Please see the following Romanee Conti, La Tache & Assortment DRC selection, all offered at the best prices in the market. Available ex-LCB Tilbury (lead times below). Most stocks are offered by ex-UK agents and purchased by Primeur. *We do not offer US, Canadian or Australian slip labels, or stocks of questionable provenance and sources. Photos available for most stocks.
1 case – 6/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1996 @ £30,995 per 6 IB & OWC now – photos attached – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
Fantastically pure with the classic spice box, hoisin and soy nose followed by big, rich, structured flavours that display earth, leather and tea notes. The tannins are big, ripe and completely buffered by the sap, with a length that is simply phenomenal. This remains primary in character and seems not to have budged 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 in my experience, 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.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2012, 2016+
1 case – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1997 @ £12,595 per 3 IB & OWC6 (Lowest Wine Searcher £14,495++) now – photos available – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian – 3 bottles in original OWC6
It is floral and nicely spicy, with elegant, relatively fine flavours that display solid intensity, though less body and sappiness than the '98. Very good supporting acidity tends to highlight the lighter but nicely focused, medium-weight flavours.
90 points Allen Meadows, Burghound (1/2008)
2 cases – 6/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1999 @ £51,495 per 6 IB & OWC (SIB) (Lowest Wine Searcher £55,000++) now – photos attached - bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian - sequential
Parcel £50,495
Words remain inadequate to describe just how good this wine is as the '99 is a classic La Tâche in every respect with its incredibly pure, marvellously intense Asian spice box nose. There is terrific size, weight, and richness to the enveloping flavours of hoisin and pure pinot extract that delivers indescribable complexity at the hugely long finish. The big tannins are completely wrapped in velvet and while they are by no means invisible, they are beautifully well-integrated, indeed the word seamless comes to mind. This is almost certainly destined to become one of the all-time great vintages of La Tâche. Moreover, among the many bottles I have been blessed to have tried, I have never had one that was anything less than sensational. However, note that the '99 LT will be a long-distance runner, so a cellar-and-forget strategy is strongly advised, at least for the next decade. Multiple and consistent notes.
99 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Apr 2017, 2024+
The 1999 La Tâche Grand Cru can be a perfect wine. This was very similar to the bottle opened in 2015. The bouquet sends you straight to heaven with so much purity and detail that, frankly, it is difficult to put into words. Fleeting glimpses of redcurrant, then pomegranate, broom and wilted rose petals, later more earthy scents, autumnal. The palate is perfectly balanced with filigree tannin, an utterly entrancing symmetry and precision second to none. Hints of black plum and blood orange, that mineralité returning towards a finish so tensile you risk cutting yourself.
100 points Neal Martin, Vinous (4/2018)
1 case – 6/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2000 @ £29,995 per 6 IB & OWC now – photos attached – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
(with thanks to Dr. Kevin Chan). While there is a bit of lightning at the rim, this remains relatively deeply coloured. This possesses a classic La Tâche nose of dried rose petals plus a fantastic array of dark fruit and spice-tinged aromas. The fine, detailed, beautifully textured, velvety broad-shouldered flavours possess impressive mid-palate concentration and terrific length on the still markedly firm and mouth-coating finish. While this is certainly a highly enjoyable wine now, it's also very clearly still positively evolving. I tasted it multiple times with mostly consistent notes, though somewhat curiously. I find some bottles less complex than others.
95 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Nov 2019, 2025+
1 case – 3/75cl Romanee Conti Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2002 @ £66,995 per 3 bottles IB & OWC now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
Just as the Grands-Echézeaux displayed another dimension relative to the Echézeaux, so it is that the Romanée-Conti does so with the La Tâche, at least this vintage. The nose cannot begin to match the utterly seductive expressiveness of the La Tâche, but then again, it never does at this stage, revealing a superbly detailed nose of dried rose petals, kirsch and plenty of spice. However, the taut, focused, very backwards, powerful and punchy flavours are more discreet, with seriously impressive detail and layer after layer of sappy extract and incredible depth. This, too, is impeccably balanced, and there is the same tenderness here, sophisticated and quite fine tannins that one sees throughout this range of 2002s. As with all great vintages of Romanée-Conti, what ultimately separates it from La Tâche is the almost spiritual sense of harmony. Yes, the balance is perfect, but something else here makes La Romanée-Conti a more complete wine.
97 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2005, 2020+
1 case – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2005 @ £23,995 per 3 IB & OWC now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
There is only one word to do the nose true justice, and that is kaleidoscopic, as the aromatic breadth here is simply dazzling with red and black cherry, cassis, plum, and subtle earth notes replete with the same Asian spice cabinet aromas as the RSV displays but here the floral aspect, particularly rose petal, is much more pronounced. However, the '05 LT is almost a combination of the RSV's class, grace and sensuality and the Riche's power, taut muscularity and huge length as the overall palate impact is equivalent to a vinous bomb exploding on the cuts-like-a-knife finish that can be measured in minutes not seconds. This is structured to be chewy, yet it is never rustic or coarse because buckets of dry extract buffer the gorgeously detailed palate. As readers know, I often use the word Zen to describe the inner harmony of a great vintage of Romanée-Conti, but rarely with La Tâche, yet in 2005, the LT had this element of inner calm and grace as well. In sum, this is a huge but utterly classy and stylish wine that will undoubtedly go down as one of the all-time great LTs.
99 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2008
1 case – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2006 @ £12,595 per 3 IB & re-packed carton now – photos available – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian – Sequential numbers – split 6
(with thanks to Dr. Reed Day and Herwig Janssen). At 13 years of age, the once reserved nose is starting to come out of its shell as there is plenty of the hallmark spice and floral components of a classic LT. The big and generous flavours are an exercise in contrasts as they are round and rich while remaining wonderfully defined and precise with an intense minerality coming to the fore, all wrapped in a linear, palate staining and explosive finish. Even though this is still very much on the way up, the impression of the palate is entirely harmonious, and the transparency and purity of expression are something to experience. In a word, it is magnificent and for my taste; I would continue to cellar this for up to another decade before enjoying the '06 LT from time to time.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2019, 2026+
2 cases – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2008 @ £15,595 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £17,495++) 2-3 weeks – awaiting photos
This takes a while to get going because, like the Richebourg, this is initially reduced, so you'll need to decant it if you're going to sacrifice a young wine on the altar of curiosity. After aggressive swirling, a highly expressive and kaleidoscopic nose offers up a dazzling breadth of aromas with more rose petal and violet notes combining with those of kirsch, herb and humus, all of which are reflected by the ripe, pure and extremely fresh silkily-textured big-bodied flavours that possess firm tannins that are completely enrobed by the impressive amount of extract that also coats the mouth on the hugely long and ever-so-slightly minty finish. The '08 La Tâche is not an especially powerful wine by its standards, but it's more like a gymnast with sleek muscularity. That said, and again, like the Richebourg, all of the structural elements are not yet in perfect balance, but the sheer length of the finish is immense, which is always a positive sign.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2011, 2030+
1 case – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2009 @ £18,695 per 3 IB & OWC now - bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
This ripe effort has not changed much since I last reviewed it from the bottle in 2012, save that it is perhaps a bit less imposing than many vintages of La Tâche at the same very early stage. But overall, I repeat my original review as it is still accurate: A discreet but incredibly complex nose features notes of spicy, pure and relatively high-toned fruit laced with plenty of rose petal and violet hints. There is excellent energy and freshness to the lacy and stunningly precise broad-scaled flavours that build in intensity from the densely concentrated mid-palate to the explosive and mouth-coating finish that seemingly goes on without end. This is a big LT with ample muscle, a firm but not aggressive structure, superb depth of underlying material and positively mind-blowing length. However, the real genius of this wine is the Zen-like harmony and poise, though it is very tightly wound and will need many years of cellaring before it is completely ready. In a word, magnificent.
98 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Aug 2015, 2034+
1 case – 3/75cl Romanee Conti Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2009 @ £70,995 per 3 bottles IB & OWC now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian – awaiting photos
2009 La Romanée-Conti: As is often the case with this wine when it is young, the nose is almost always very restrained, but even so, the word brilliant doesn’t begin to capture just how marvellous it is. It’s a fool’s errand to try to capture all the nuances. Still, a few of the major components would include dried rose petals, hoisin, clove, anise and cassis that merge seamlessly into regal, pure and gorgeously intense middle-weight flavours that possess seemingly limitless reserves of dry extract that almost completely hide the perfectly integrated tannins on the firm, mineral-driven, overtly austere and linear finish. This possesses such a spectacular nose that you don’t even have to drink it to be thrilled, and the flavours are perfectly spherical. This may well be the wine of the vintage because wine does not get much, if any, better. If you can somehow justify the scratch required, don’t miss it. I would also note that I’m not much for using plus signs with a scoring hierarchy that is already implausibly precise. Yet, I do so here to indicate that I have the smallest preferences for the ’09 Romanée-Conti vis-à-vis the La Tâche. Yes, it would perhaps be just as easy to assign the next highest number rather than adding the plus, but this would imply that the ’09 RC is as good as the ’90, ’99 or ’05 versions, which, even as spectacular as it is, I do not believe that it can quite match those efforts. Hence, I used the plus, just in case you may have wondered.
98+ points Allen Meadows, Burghound /2034+
1 case – 3/75cl Romanee Conti Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2010 @ £66,995 per 3 bottles IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £75,000-£75,995++) now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian - photos attached
2010 La Romanée-Conti: This is also intensely spicy with a similar array of highly restrained but exceptionally complex floral and cool red and blackberry fruit aromas. There is a real sense of focused power to the beautifully well-delineated, pure and highly nuanced, multifaceted medium-bodied flavours wrapped in a deep reserve of dry extract before culminating in a breathtakingly persistent finish replete with the hallmark youthful austerity. Like all of the great vintages of this most famous burgundy, it is almost inconceivably spherical with a Zen-like sense of harmony. I could taste this hours later, and like the ’10 La Tâche, this is not an especially powerful vintage for Romanée-Conti, but it should be one of the all-time greats in due time. In short, young burgundy just doesn’t get any better than this.
99 points Allen Meadows, Burghound /2030+
2 cases – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2011 @ £12,895 per 3 IB & OWC (SIB) now – photo attached – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
Along with the La Romanée, this possesses the most dazzling nose in the tasting with its superbly spicy and wonderfully floral-suffused aromas of mostly red berries and exotic tea trimmed in sandalwood. The suave, rich, caressing medium-weight plus flavours display ample muscle and power and a firm bead of minerality on the moderately austere and stunningly long finish where the only nit is a trace of warmth. This is knockout good for the vintage and a wine that is very much on the way up. To be sure, the '11 LT isn't going to rival the truly great vintages of this storied wine, but it is seriously impressive all the same.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Oct 2022, 2029+
1 case – 3/75cl Romanee Conti Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2011 @ £55,995 per 3 bottles IB & OWC (SIB) now – photo attached – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian – 473 cases
Discreet wood sets off a wonderfully elegant, airy and ultra-pure dark Pinot fruit nose that is perhaps even more reticent and shut down than the La Tâche, and only seriously aggressive swirling can reveal stubborn notes of rose petal, spice and menthol influence. The ultra-silky but firm medium-scaled flavours are also blessed with an impressive abundance of dry extract that buffers the prominent but ripe supporting tannins on the moderately austere, deep and palate-coating finish. The length here is genuinely amazing, indeed even at this early juncture this is already the longest wine in the range. As it virtually always is at this point in its development, this is an exercise in understatement, poise and controlled power with an unrivalled purity of expression. In sum, this is Zen-like. As to whether it will ultimately be better than La Tâche in 2011 remains to be seen, but for now, the two seem to be neck and neck from a purely qualitative perspective.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound (1/2014)
1 case – 3/75cl Romanee Conti Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2012 @ £58,995 per 3 bottles IB & OWC (SIB) now – photo attached – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian – 350 cases
The surprisingly expressive nose is almost completely dominated by various floral aromas that include violets, lavender and rose petals. There is, of course, a broad array of spice elements to the red and black currant aromas, but they are nuances compared to the floral characters. The wonderfully intense and concentrated middle weight plus flavours possess arguably even more dry extract that, for the moment anyway, pushes the firm tannic spine completely to the background. As such, the mouthfeel is incredibly rich and opulent. While Romanée-Conti is almost always astonishingly complex, it is not always more so than the La Tâche. Still, in 2012, the king of complexity in the DRC range is indisputably Romanée-Conti. There is also a remarkable amount of minerality, and the overall impression is seamless harmony. While I don't think that the 2012 Romanée-Conti will be able to rival the 2009 and 2010 versions, it's almost certainly going to be close.
98 points Allen Meadows, Burghound (1/2014)
2 cases – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2013 @ £12,795 per 3 IB & BANDED OWC now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
2013 La Tâche: Deep ruby. Once again, a highly reticent nose only grudgingly gives up discreet, if attractively perfumed, notes of rose petal, spice and an ultra-pure assortment of red berry fruit scents. Like the Riche, this possesses that wonderful inner mouth perfume that makes the Vosne Grand Crus justifiably famous. There is wonderful intensity to the sleek, big-bodied flavours that display plenty of punch and authority on the impeccably well-balanced, hugely long, and very firmly structured finish. While La Tâche is often a very powerful wine, the 2013 version seems particularly so, and it can be accurately described as a beautiful combination of power and refinement.
95 points Allen Meadows, Burghound /2033+
2 cases – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2014 @ £13,595 per 3 IB & OWC now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
2014 La Tâche: Fireworks in a glass would be the operative description of the super-fresh nose of the 2014 La Tâche, and while it’s not necessarily spicier or more floral than the Riche, there is a broader range of elements present and, in particular, better overall aromatic depth along with more red fruits than dark. The imposingly powerful and tautly muscular flavours possess outstanding mid-palate density while offering excellent delineation on the intensely mineral-infused, youthfully austere and firmly structured finish that goes on and on. While I suspect that this will drink reasonably well after only 15 to 18 years of bottle age, note well that if you want to drink it when fully mature, it will require in the range of 20 to 25 years of cellaring.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound /2034+
1 case – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2015 @ £16,795 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £18,750++) now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian – photo attached
1 case – 1/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2015 @ £5,495 per 1 IB & OWC1 now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
As is often the case in its youth, this easily possesses the most aromatic breadth of any wine in the range with an utterly kaleidoscopic nose that incorporates notes of Asian spice box elements, rose petal, lavender, lilac, orange pekoe tea and sandalwood. There is a superb richness to the powerfully constituted flavours that possess outstanding delineation and intensity while displaying perhaps even more minerality than usual, all wrapped in a mildly warm finish that slowly fans out as it sits on the palate. This is one classy wine that manages to do what only the greatest of burgundies can, which is to wow you with its power without weight mouth palate impression. And if all of this weren't enough, the refinement and poise here are nothing short of riveting. While I am very careful when it comes to proclaiming that such a vintage of La Tâche will go down as one of the all-time greats, the 2015 version appears to have the potential to be one of them. Time will, of course, be the final arbiter, but the underlying material is so good it's difficult to be less than super-enthusiastic.
98 points Allen Meadows, Burghound (1/2018)
1 case – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2016 @ £14,795 per 3 IB & OWC now – C&B stock bought EP stored Octavian
2 cases – 1/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2016 @ £4,995 per 1 IB & OWC1 now – bought EP C&B stock stored Octavian
As is often the case, the highly perfumed nose is the most floral-inflected of the range with its equally cool and restrained array of violet and rose petal scents that combine with an extraordinary group of spice elements on the essence of red currant aromas. The mouthfeel of the imposingly scaled and powerful flavours is again robust yet refined with just as much minerality as the Richebourg, adding even more lift to the almost painfully intense and extravagantly long finish that also just goes and goes. There is a hint of backend warmth, but it's not enough to materially detract from the overall sense of harmony, though I underscore that the '16 LT is one very firm effort that will require decades to fully shed its tannic shell. With that said, this is genuinely brilliant.
98 points Allen Meadows, Burghound, Jan 2019
2 cases – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2017 @ £12,995 per 3 IB & OWC (SIB) now – C&B stock bought EP stored Octavian – photo attached
Other than perhaps a great Musigny, La Tâche is the most aromatically compelling wine in Burgundy with its perfumed fireworks in a glass with a nose that is ultra-spicy, exuberantly fresh and impressively broad-ranging array of rose petal, exotic and herbal tea, lavender, plum, violet, sandalwood, soy and a whiff of hoisin. There is a beguiling sense of underlying tension to the supple and almost easy-going mid-palate of the deceptively forward medium-bodied flavours that progressively tighten up on the dusty, exceptionally stony and saline if ever-so-mildly warm finish that flashes excellent depth and superb persistence as well as plenty of youthful austerities. This is a La Tâche of contrasts as the mid-palate suggests early accessibility, yet the firm core of tannins clarifies that the 2017 LT will require extended keeping if you wish to experience it at its peak.
96 points Allen Meadows, Burghound (1/2020)
1 case – 1/75cl Romanee Conti Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2017 @ £14,695 per 1 bottle IB & OWC1 now – bought EP C&B agent stock stored Octavian
2017 Romanée-Conti: (a monopole of 1.81 ha). Once again, there is evident restraint to the almost taciturn but still kaleidoscopically broad-ranging nose of wonderfully pure fresh and spicy aromas that include plenty of floral influences on the red currant, cherry, sandalwood and rose petal. The silky and equally pure middle-weight flavours possess excellent punch and a similar level of minerality on the focused, powerful, linear and impressively persistent finish that slowly fans out as it sits on the palate. In contrast to the flash of the La Tâche, this is Zen-like in its sense of harmony and focus. Like many of the DRC ‘17s, this should be approachable somewhat earlier than normal yet still be capable of rewarding 20+ years of cellaring.
97 points Allen Meadows, Burghound /2037+
1 case – 3/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2018 @ £15,995 per 3 IB & OWC (Lowest Wine Searcher £21,000++) now – C&B stock bought EP stored Octavian – photo attached
1 case – 1/75cl La Tache Grand Cru MONOPOLE, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2018 @ £5,095 per 1 IB & OWC1 now – C&B stock bought EP stored Octavian
This is unusually cool and airy in the context of what is typical in 2018, with its restrained and beautifully layered nose of rose petal, violet, lavender, lilac, sandalwood and soy nuances that add incredible breadth to the mostly red berry-suffused aromas, all of which is trimmed in very subtle oak influence. There is outstanding volume to the big, muscular and robust flavours that also possess focused power where the intensity does a slow build from the mid-palate to the explosively long and decidedly austere finish that just lasts and lasts. This is somewhat less 2018 in style than the prior wines, though it is clearly quite ripe. It is also a bit less refined than it usually is, at least at this early stage, though, to be fair, it is still in its formative stages, so we will see how it comes along with more ageing. I would observe, though, that it is already abundantly clear that this is a stunningly great LT; indeed, it may well rival 1999 in time and will develop quite slowly over a very long period.
99 points Allen Meadows, Burghound 1/2021)
1 case – 10/75cl Assortment Grand Cru Case, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 2018 @ £46,995 per 10 IB & OWC 2-3 weeks – photos available
(Contains: 1xRomanee Conti, 3xLa Tache, 1xRichebourg, 2xRomanee St Vivant, 1xGrands Echezeaux, 2xEchezeaux)
Payment Terms – Strictly 14 days on invoice for physical stocks (payment upon landing for later arrivals), and prior to stock transfer. Offered ex-LCB Tilbury deliveries to other bonds charged at cost.
Subject to remaining unsold and final invoice confirmation. E&OE.