Domaine de la Romanée Conti
Domaine de la Romanée Conti

Domaine de la Romanée Conti

The Domaine de la Romanée Conti is undoubtedly the most renowned wine in the world. This mythical Burgundy estate is located in the commune of Vosne-Romanée, its wines are classified as Burgundy Grand Cru. The vineyard spans nearly 30 hectares divided among 9 grand crus: Richebourg, Romanée Saint Vivant, Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, the grand cru appellations La Tâche and Romanée Conti which are monopoles, as well as Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne for white wines. The noble Burgundian grape varieties are harvested here: Pinot Noir for red wines, and Chardonnay.

Mindful of its environment and biodiversity, the Domaine de la Romanée Conti has been practicing organic farming and biodynamic agriculture for several decades.

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Domaine de la Romanée Conti, commonly called DRC, is located in the Burgundian village of Vosne-Romanée in Côte d'Or. It is the most well-known and sought-after wine producer by enthusiasts. Its wines are classified as Grand Cru de Bourgogne.

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The history of Domaine de la Romanée Conti

The history of Domaine de la Romanée Conti is rich and long. It all began in 1131 when Hugh II, Duke of Burgundy, ceded his lands, including the future vineyard of Romanée Conti, to the Saint-Vivant priory.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the monks discovered a plot of better quality than the others, the "Cloux des cinq journaux", a future part of Romanée Conti, and ceded it to Claude Cousin.

The owners of the plot succeeded one another for decades until it was bought by Philippe de Croonembourg, who renamed it "la Romanée", and then by Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti in 1760. The vineyard was sold at auction at the end of the 18th century under the name Romanée-Conty.

After several resales, it was finally bought in 1912 by Edmond Gaudin de Villaine and Jacques Chambon, who registered the trademark "Domaine de la Romanée Conti" and defined the domain's quality charter before acquiring La Tâche in 1933. On July 31, 1942, the civil society of Domaine de la Romanée Conti was established, and Henri Leroy bought J. Chambon's shares.

The property has been co-managed since 1942 by the Gaudin De Villaine and Leroy families. Marcelle (Lalou) Bize-Leroy, one of Burgundy's greatest winemakers, co-directed the estate from 1974 to 1991. Her daughter Perrine Fenal inherited the management of the estate in 2019, joined two years later by Bertrand de Villaine, nephew of Aubert de Villaine.

What are the wines of Domaine de la Romanée Conti?

The legendary Domaine de la Romanée Conti spans nearly 31 hectares of Pinot Noir & Chardonnay vines and holds nine grand crus, two of which are monopoles. It produces prestigious wines known for their exceptional quality and high price.

From north to south:

The reds

Echézeaux: 4.67 hectares – The earliest cru, the least complex, and of great elegance.

Grand Echézeaux: 3.52 hectares – Refined, expressive wine with notes of undergrowth.

Richebourg: 3.51 hectares – Powerful wine with a firm and silky character.

Romanée-Conti (monopole): 1.81 hectares – Velvety wine with floral aromas

Romanée-Saint-Vivant: 5.28 hectares - Lightness, delicacy, and power create the balance of this wine.

La Tâche (monopole): 6.06 hectares – Elegant, full-bodied wine with firm tannins.

Corton (climats Clos du Roi, Bressandes, Renardes): 2.27 hectares – First harvest in 2009, it is a frank and firm wine from old vines.

The whites

Corton-Charlemagne : 2.91 hectares – First harvest in 2019. Wine of great finesse and freshness.

Montrachet : 0.67 hectares – Its elegance and power make it a white wine of unparalleled complexity.

Biodynamics and Domaine de la Romanée Conti

Respect for biodiversity and quality requirements are the key words of Domaine de la Romanée Conti. The estate has been certified organic since 1986 and Biodyvin since 2017, even though the vineyard has been managed according to biodynamic principles for much longer.

For the owners, this method, along with meticulous selection in both the vineyard and the cellar, allows them to obtain the best wine, of very high quality and with great aging potential.

Is Romanée Conti the most expensive wine in the world?

The most famous and coveted of the crus comes from the eponymous vineyard of Romanée-Conti. It is produced from a very small plot of less than 2 hectares, whose surface has remained unchanged since 1580.

The estate produces at most 6000 bottles per vintage and only sells this wine in "mixed" cases of 13 bottles. One must then buy an assortment of the estate's other grand crus to own a single bottle of Romanée-Conti and also be an allocatee of the estate to be able to buy this case and commit not to resell it for speculative purposes.

This makes this wine one of the rarest and most expensive in the world.

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