La Romanée
Encyclopedia
La Romanée is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard
for red wine in the Côte de Nuits
subregion of Burgundy
, with Pinot Noir
as the main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée
and is a monopole
of the winery Comte Liger-Belair. La Romanée borders on Romanée-Conti
downslope in the east, AuxReignots upslope in the west, La Grande Rue in the south, and Richebourg in the north. The AOC was created in 1936.
"Very elegant ... fleshy ... very persistent, aromatic with the aromas of cherry, black berries (like blackcurrant or blackberry), spices and undergrowth. When this wine evolves, it is completed by notes of preserves and leather and aromas due to wood. Tasters often evoke the voluptuousness and the richness of a powerful wine and full wine for long keeping." "La Romanée is powerful yet delicate with fine depth, silky tannins and a long finish" "La Romanée is a little more full bodied and more virile than Romanée-Conti but with the same supreme elegance"
At least from the end of the 16th century on the present La Romanée consisted of parcels whose names varied over the centuries: "Es Echanges" (1602); "Es Echanges, Au Sentier du Pretre" (1664); "Au Sentier du Pretre" (the name of the path separating Romanée-Conti from Richebourgs) and "Au-dessus de la Romanée" (1769); "Echanges" (1771). A map of Romanée-Conti made in 1760 shows the six parcels which will become La Romanée just west of the path separating the two vineyards. An official document of 1790 refers to two of these parcels as "En La Romanée". Another document relating to the sale of another of the parcels in 1794 refers again to "d'Echanges"; but when this parcel is inherited in 1815 it is referred to as "En La Romanée". "In October 1791 ... the commune of Vosne was divided into 14 sections ... The six owners of Aux Echanges were integrated into the Richebourgs"
From 1815 to 1826 General Louis Liger-Belair acqired the six parcels and in 1827 had them registered as a single parcel called La Romanée. The Forey family tended the vines and made the wine till 1991, when following the death of the owner, the Canon Just, Louis-Michel Liger-Belair gradually took over the management of the domain.
, Pinot Blanc
and Pinot Gris
as accessory grapes, but this is practically never used for any Burgundy Grand Cru vineyard. The allowed base yield
is 35 hectoliters per hectare. A minimum planting density of 9,000 vines per hectare and a minium grape maturity of 11.5 per cent potential alcohol is required.
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
for red wine in the Côte de Nuits
Côte de Nuits
The Côte de Nuits is a French wine region located in the northern part of the Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is at the heart of the Burgundy wine region. It extends from Dijon to just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges, which gives its name to the district and is the regional center...
subregion of Burgundy
Burgundy wine
Burgundy wine is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône River, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here - those commonly referred to as "Burgundies" - are red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes or white wines made from...
, with Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
as the main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée
Vosne-Romanée
Vosne-Romanée is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in Burgundy in eastern France.-Population:-Wine:It produces the region's most celebrated wines, all made entirely from the Pinot Noir grape: "There can be little doubt that in the firmament of the Cote de nuits, Vosne-Romanée is the brightest...
and is a monopole
Monopole (wine)
A monopole is an area controlled by a single winery and can be as small as a lieu-dit or as large as an entire appellation d'origine contrôlée, such as Bordeaux or Champagne. Frequently this is mentioned on the label and it is rare for only one winery to produce all the wine from an area...
of the winery Comte Liger-Belair. La Romanée borders on Romanée-Conti
Romanée-Conti
Romanée-Conti is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot Noir as the sole grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Société Civile du Domaine de la...
downslope in the east, AuxReignots upslope in the west, La Grande Rue in the south, and Richebourg in the north. The AOC was created in 1936.
Situation and Characteristics
Comprising an area of just 0.845 hectares (2.1 acre), La Romanée is the smallest Grand Cru in Burgundy and the smallest AOC in France. "The slope is more marked (12%), the soil less clayey than La Romanée-Conti. A rendzina resting on Premeaux limestone and oolite, with brown calcareous soil in the upper part. Little soil, pebbly" The soil structure is similar to Romanée-Conti, a fine sand-clay mixture "feeble in the sand fraction, mixed with pebbles, based on a friable Prémeaux limestone. The depth of surface soil is much less""Very elegant ... fleshy ... very persistent, aromatic with the aromas of cherry, black berries (like blackcurrant or blackberry), spices and undergrowth. When this wine evolves, it is completed by notes of preserves and leather and aromas due to wood. Tasters often evoke the voluptuousness and the richness of a powerful wine and full wine for long keeping." "La Romanée is powerful yet delicate with fine depth, silky tannins and a long finish" "La Romanée is a little more full bodied and more virile than Romanée-Conti but with the same supreme elegance"
Production
In 2008, 0.845 hectares (2.1 acre) of vineyard surface was in production within the AOC, and 28 hectoliters of wine were produced, corresponding to around 3,700 bottles.History
It was originally composed of six small parcels, whose area varied from one ouvrée to one journal situated in the vineyard or place-name Aux Echanges ... the declaration of the property of Saint-Vivant in 1512 says of it: 'belonging to Monsieur de Fangey ... and to several others.""At least from the end of the 16th century on the present La Romanée consisted of parcels whose names varied over the centuries: "Es Echanges" (1602); "Es Echanges, Au Sentier du Pretre" (1664); "Au Sentier du Pretre" (the name of the path separating Romanée-Conti from Richebourgs) and "Au-dessus de la Romanée" (1769); "Echanges" (1771). A map of Romanée-Conti made in 1760 shows the six parcels which will become La Romanée just west of the path separating the two vineyards. An official document of 1790 refers to two of these parcels as "En La Romanée". Another document relating to the sale of another of the parcels in 1794 refers again to "d'Echanges"; but when this parcel is inherited in 1815 it is referred to as "En La Romanée". "In October 1791 ... the commune of Vosne was divided into 14 sections ... The six owners of Aux Echanges were integrated into the Richebourgs"
From 1815 to 1826 General Louis Liger-Belair acqired the six parcels and in 1827 had them registered as a single parcel called La Romanée. The Forey family tended the vines and made the wine till 1991, when following the death of the owner, the Canon Just, Louis-Michel Liger-Belair gradually took over the management of the domain.
AOC regulations
The main grape variety for La Romanée is Pinot Noir. The AOC regulations also allow up to 15 per cent total of ChardonnayChardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
and Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
as accessory grapes, but this is practically never used for any Burgundy Grand Cru vineyard. The allowed base yield
Yield (wine)
In viticulture, the yield is a measure of the amount of grapes or wine that is produced per unit surface of vineyard, and is therefore a type of crop yield...
is 35 hectoliters per hectare. A minimum planting density of 9,000 vines per hectare and a minium grape maturity of 11.5 per cent potential alcohol is required.