Domaine de la Romanee Conti   Romanee St Vivant

1996 Romanee-St-Vivant

By Domaine de la Romanee-Conti

1996 Romanée-St-Vivant from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Burgundy, France

One cannot simply utter the name of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti without invoking a sense of grandeur. Among their esteemed lineage stands the 1996 Romanée-St-Vivant from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - a wine that is emblematic of Burgundy's exquisite craftsmanship and an illustrious vintage embedded in the minds of connoisseurs and investors alike.

 

A Vintage That Speaks Volumes

The growing season of 1996 graced the Côte d'Or with particularly favourable conditions, resulting in a harvest that yielded firm structure and soaring acidity. This climatic serendipity has allowed the 1996 Romanée-St-Vivant to mature into an ornate tapestry woven with layers of complexity.

 

Rarity in Each Sip

Upon pouring, one is greeted by a luminous ruby core, graced by the slightest hint of garnet at the edges, belying its age. A meditative nose reveals an intricate mélange of macerated cherries, sous-bois, and a whisper of Vosne-Romanée's characteristic spices. The palate resonates with an aristocratic finesse – an intricate interplay between ripe tannins and elegant minerality. Red currants dance alongside notes of leather and an ethereal truffle undertone as the wine unfurls on the tongue.

 

A Blue-chip Burgundy for Discerning Collectors

As we delve into investment potential, this noble bottle is nothing less than a cornerstone asset in any serious investor's portfolio. Its scarcity underlined by limited production, combined with an impeccable provenance, establishes the 1996 Romanée-St-Vivant as one with promising appreciation in value over the decades to come.

It is worth noting, for those poised to invest or treasure this liquid artistry, that the optimum drinking window remains invitingly open. Henceforth, may you allow yourself to be beguiled by the 1996 Romanée-St-Vivant from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti; a transcendent expression from one of Burgundy's most exalted vintages, offering both sensory delight and enviable fiscal prudence.

Current market price

£48,200.00

12x75cl

Highest score

94

POP score

3442.86

Scores and tasting notes

94

The 1996 Romanée Saint-Vivant Grand Cru continues to be an absolutely delightful wine from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and puts to rest memories of a sub-par bottle tasted blind several years ago. Now two decades old, it retains a healthy color with little sign of ageing. The bouquet is fresh and vital, angular at first yet seeming to gain harmony with each swirl of the glass. It is not intense, but prioritizes clarity and tension over power. Dark berry fruit emerge first, briary and Vervain tea, an underlying mineralité eventually coming forth. The palate is very well balanced, quite linear and certainly not flamboyant or flattering. It makes you, the taster, work to seek out its nuances, its energy and refinement. Hints of black cherry intermingle with a marine-like undertow that governs that finish. It does not posses huge depth and I think Aubert de Villaine makes a more sophisticated wine nowadays, but it remains a joy. Tasted September 2016.

Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 30 December 2016

Vintage performance