Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)
Échézeaux Pinot Noir
Flagey-Echézeaux, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Dense and weighty and unfortunately served a little too warm which seemed to bring the wood to the fore. A very impressive bottle nonetheless - 2005
Dense and weighty and unfortunately served a little too warm which seemed to bring the wood to the fore. A very impressive bottle nonetheless - 2005
Nov 17th, 2017
Classic '05 intensity but with the defining noblesse of the producer, not too many '05's are this expressive & giving, but that's why you pay the price for greatness.
Classic '05 intensity but with the defining noblesse of the producer, not too many '05's are this expressive & giving, but that's why you pay the price for greatness.
Oct 6th, 2016First DRC wine
First DRC wine
Dec 17th, 2013
The Legendary 1990 and 2005 Vintages, and the 'Rouge' Aroma They Revealed!
I was meeting friends for a tasting, and I said I would bring a wine with a "rouge aroma" (*Yānzhī xiāng*). My friend also promised to open one with the same scent. If it's a cool vintage, a DRC might not reveal that distinctive rouge scent, but it's more common in warmer vintages, especially older ones from hot years. Of course, 2005 is a legendary vintage—it was warm but with significant diurnal temperature variation, resulting in balanced acidity and concentration, which also creates a very strong structure.
Thankfully, the 1990 Clos de Tart, despite having a very low fill level, wasn't spoiled. Its condition wasn't as potent as a previous bottle I had opened. This one took about 1.5 hours to fully open up in the glass. When it did, it revealed that signature Jiangnan "rouge" scent—very soft, enchanting, and feminine—along with some notes of dried longan. The fruit was balanced, though the acidity was relatively weak.
Today, I'll mainly write about this DRC. Its structure is incredibly powerful. For the first two hours, it was very closed. I believe this wine needed at least four hours of decanting, primarily because the 2005s, despite being a warm year, aren't that easy to open up. The aromas only started to slowly emerge around the third hour, and we were using large decanters and glasses, waiting for a long time. Initially, for the first half-hour after opening, there was a reductive note that was a bit funky. Later, after it opened up, the nose was primarily an interplay of cypress pine, violets, and that rouge scent intertwined. Honestly, this wine felt androgynous to me—it evokes an image of a knight and a princess playing in a forest. It wasn't overly soft, and its layers were incredibly complex.
On the palate, it was abundant: primarily black fruit, sour plum, sandalwood, coffee beans, a hint of dark chocolate, and a touch of earthy notes. The tannins weren't very soft—but then again, I'm so accustomed to drinking old wines. I feel this wine will need another 10 years to truly reach its peak. Its structure is exceptionally strong, unfolding layer by layer, with beautifully balanced acidity.
Comparing these two wines, their styles are completely different. One could say it's a contrast between an iconic Eastern beauty and a Western princess. I personally adore the soft and elegant style, but the 2005 is a wine with immense structure—it possesses a feminine power that is very potent, almost like the vision of a woman holding authority in a man's world.
Drinking such magnificent wines brings me great joy!
The Legendary 1990 and 2005 Vintages, and the 'Rouge' Aroma They Revealed!
I was meeting friends for a tasting, and I said I would bring a wine with a "rouge aroma" (*Yānzhī xiāng*). My friend also promised to open one with the same scent. If it's a cool vintage, a DRC might not reveal that distinctive rouge scent, but it's more common in warmer vintages, especially older ones from hot years. Of course, 2005 is a legendary vintage—it was warm but with significant diurnal temperature variation, resulting in balanced acidity and concentration, which also creates a very strong structure.
Thankfully, the 1990 Clos de Tart, despite having a very low fill level, wasn't spoiled. Its condition wasn't as potent as a previous bottle I had opened. This one took about 1.5 hours to fully open up in the glass. When it did, it revealed that signature Jiangnan "rouge" scent—very soft, enchanting, and feminine—along with some notes of dried longan. The fruit was balanced, though the acidity was relatively weak.
Today, I'll mainly write about this DRC. Its structure is incredibly powerful. For the first two hours, it was very closed. I believe this wine needed at least four hours of decanting, primarily because the 2005s, despite being a warm year, aren't that easy to open up. The aromas only started to slowly emerge around the third hour, and we were using large decanters and glasses, waiting for a long time. Initially, for the first half-hour after opening, there was a reductive note that was a bit funky. Later, after it opened up, the nose was primarily an interplay of cypress pine, violets, and that rouge scent intertwined. Honestly, this wine felt androgynous to me—it evokes an image of a knight and a princess playing in a forest. It wasn't overly soft, and its layers were incredibly complex.
On the palate, it was abundant: primarily black fruit, sour plum, sandalwood, coffee beans, a hint of dark chocolate, and a touch of earthy notes. The tannins weren't very soft—but then again, I'm so accustomed to drinking old wines. I feel this wine will need another 10 years to truly reach its peak. Its structure is exceptionally strong, unfolding layer by layer, with beautifully balanced acidity.
Comparing these two wines, their styles are completely different. One could say it's a contrast between an iconic Eastern beauty and a Western princess. I personally adore the soft and elegant style, but the 2005 is a wine with immense structure—it possesses a feminine power that is very potent, almost like the vision of a woman holding authority in a man's world.
Drinking such magnificent wines brings me great joy!
2005 vintage. Great fill and cork. Decanted and tasted after two hours. Small amount of chunky and powdery sed. Nose a bit musty but never funky during a high decant. Medium-heavy body. Tremendous power throughout. Can easily go another two decades. Still packing the signs of youth such as individual flavors easily evident vs melded/integrated ones. Tasted more like a 2020 vintage. Was hoping for more black tea, espresso, orange citrus peel, soy sauce notes (and there were some). This one's gonna need a bigger boat...er...another 7-8 years or a 5 hour decant to shed some of that overt power in a trade off for nuance. Delicious in its own way but not easy. Demanding. 04.04.25.
2005 vintage. Great fill and cork. Decanted and tasted after two hours. Small amount of chunky and powdery sed. Nose a bit musty but never funky during a high decant. Medium-heavy body. Tremendous power throughout. Can easily go another two decades. Still packing the signs of youth such as individual flavors easily evident vs melded/integrated ones. Tasted more like a 2020 vintage. Was hoping for more black tea, espresso, orange citrus peel, soy sauce notes (and there were some). This one's gonna need a bigger boat...er...another 7-8 years or a 5 hour decant to shed some of that overt power in a trade off for nuance. Delicious in its own way but not easy. Demanding. 04.04.25.
Apr 5th, 2025
Broke out a big gun for the holiday. Succulent on the first taste from the bottle. Decanted and drank over 2+ hours. Almost no sediment. Striking color. Very deep red. Tons of mature fruit but still lively. Deep and long. Rounded mouthfeel and lingers wonderfully. It’s such a smooth but heady wine. Nicely fragrant. My first DRC.
Broke out a big gun for the holiday. Succulent on the first taste from the bottle. Decanted and drank over 2+ hours. Almost no sediment. Striking color. Very deep red. Tons of mature fruit but still lively. Deep and long. Rounded mouthfeel and lingers wonderfully. It’s such a smooth but heady wine. Nicely fragrant. My first DRC.
Nov 28th, 2024
Master Sommelier, Senior Wine Advisor Soutirage
Perfectly balanced. Bursting with Red fruit. Incredible mid-palate density!
Perfectly balanced. Bursting with Red fruit. Incredible mid-palate density!
Jan 22nd, 2017With an hour of air the nose is simply overpowering with a classic DRC taste profile! Simply loved it!
With an hour of air the nose is simply overpowering with a classic DRC taste profile! Simply loved it!
Aug 1st, 2020