Domaine de la Romanee Conti   Romanee Conti

2013 Romanee-Conti

By Domaine de la Romanee-Conti

2013 Romanée-Conti from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Burgundy, France

The 2013 Romanée-Conti from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti emerges as a testament to the resilience and exceptional savoir-faire inherent in one of Burgundy's most illustrious names. Casting my palate back over the many vintages I've had the privilege to encounter, the 2013 speaks with a poetic voice - expressing the complexities born out of a challenging season in Burgundy.

 

Elegance in Adversity: The Finesse of 2013

Marginal conditions in 2013 coerced vignerons into a rigorous selection process, a scenario that accentuated the discriminating excellence embodied by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The 2013 harvest required a meticulous approach, and the attentiveness in vineyard management is palpable in every sip. This vintage showcases an intricate symphony of subtleties, with an aromatic pallet that whispers rather than shouts.

 

A Vintage Reflective of its Terroir

In experiencing the 2013 Romanée-Conti, one uncovers layers of mature red and dark fruits that intertwine seamlessly with earthy undertones and mineral spine. There's a remarkable balance in this offering – a deft combination of structure and elegance, power and grace. Despite the unpredictability of the year, this wine's poise underlines a masterful act of winemaking acuity. One discovers seductive tannins that provide a texture both silk-like and potent – gripping yet inviting further exploration.

Certainly, as an investment piece, the rarity bestowed upon this vintage by its climatic hurdles only elevates its allure. Savvy collectors understand that such years often birth wines of profound expression – ones that articulate the narrative of their creation with palpable reverence.

 

Connoisseurship Meets Investment Acumen

To immerse oneself in the aromatic tapestry of the 2013 Romanée-Conti from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is to engage with a vintage that encapsulates the stoic beauty of Burgundian terroir faced with adversity. As I muse on its labyrinthine subtleties and peerless finesse, it is evident that this wine represents not just a connoisseur's treasure but also aligns neatly with astute investment foresight. Bearing witness to how gracefully it has emerged from its challenging genesis, one can only surmise the remarkable trajectory it will follow as it continues to evolve in cellar sanctity.

Market price (CAD)

$336,230.00

12x75cl

Highest score

97

POP score

11883.53

Scores and tasting notes

97

The 2013 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru was picked in the afternoon of October 8 at a yield of 17.5 hectoliters per hectare. I remember this was taciturn in barrel vis-à-vis the La Tâche, which is commonly the case, however here it sprints from the blocks thanks to a life-affirming bouquet of red plum, wild strawberry, cold wet limestone and black truffle that segues into something almost girolles-like, even smoky. Like the 2013 La Tâche, it is very mercurial in the glass and to that end, I stretched my sample out for 10-15 minutes. The palate is medium-bodied and very harmonious on the entry. Filigree tannin frame this wine, perfect acidity lending freshness and tension, here a gradual build towards a delineated, almost edgy finish. It brought to the forefront of my mind an actor about to utter the first line of a play. Give it several years in bottle before you start throwing bouquets onto the stage, for the performance will be worth the wait. Production is 312 cases. Tasted February 2016.

Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 3 March 2016

90

The 2013 Corton Grand Cru was picked on October 3 at an average yield of 19.5 hectoliters per hectare. It has a light blueberry and crushed strawberry-scented bouquet that does not quite possess the intensity of the 2013 Echézeaux. There is a hint of fresh fig that emerges with time in the glass. The palate is clean and fresh. There is something almost "airy" about this Le Corton, with pitch perfect acidity and perhaps more transparency than I have observed in earlier vintages. It does not boast great density and fruit concentration on the finish, and perhaps it is just deprived the substance that a more benevolent season would have bestowed. Nevertheless, it is a delicious, almost easy-drinking little ingénue of a Corton that will give much drinking pleasure over the next 12-15 years. Production is 461 cases. Tasted February 2016.

Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 3 March 2016

Vintage performance