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96 By Robert Parker
96 By Wine Spectator
I have never been treated to such a profusion of floral perfume from this legendary site as rose over the glass of 2007 Romanee-Conti. Hyacinth, rose, gladiola, and iris are underlain by scents of moss-covered, damp stone, wild ginger, and diverse tiny red fruits. “Romanee-Conti c’est le nez,” remarks de Villaine of this almost ethereal Pinot. The contrast with the more fleshly La Tache could not be more dramatic. But this doesn’t pull back on its silken-textured palate, either – far from it: along with persistent inner-mouth profusion of floral perfume come savory, irresistibly juicy raspberry and pomegranate as well as an impression of marrow-rich, multi-boned meat stock. A wafting, wave-like finish harbors the sort of exhilarating sheer refreshment one looks for in white wine, and a kaleidoscopic interchange of colorful floral, spice, fruit, carnal, and mineral elements such as few wines of any sort can deliver.
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.