Romanée-Conti
Encyclopedia
Romanée-Conti 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 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 Romanée-Conti
, which takes its name after this vineyard. Romanée-Conti borders on La Romanée
in the west, Richebourg
in the north, Romanée-Saint-Vivant
in the east and La Grande Rue
in the south. The AOC was created in 1936.
Wine from the vineyard is among the most sought after, and expensive, in the world. In October 2010, 77 bottles fetched a total of US$750,609 at auction. A single bottle of the 1990 vintage
was sold for US$10,953.
has stated,
"Breeding. It has the most breed of any wine in the world ... Richebourg is the more massive and Le Romanée[-Conti] finer" "Sense for me this perfume! Breathe this bouquet! Taste it! Drink it! But never try to describe it! Impossible to give an account of such a delicacy with words! To drink Romanée-Conti is equivalent to experiencing an orgasm at once in the mouth and in the nose."
, the Prince of Conti
. The vineyard was already held in high esteem at this time, and the prince paid a high price for it, 8,000 livres, and apparently an additional sum under the table. This was almost ten times the price per area paid for another highly reagarded vineyard, Clos de Bèze, ten years earlier. Legend has it that the high price was the result of a bidding war between the Prince of Conti and Madame Pompadour, but this has been shown to be incorrect, and a myth concocted by inhabitants of Vosne to add to the prestige and mystique of the vineyard.
In 1764 the Prince of Conti proceeded to rename the vineyard to include his own name. Under the Prince of Conti's ownership, the wine was reserved for his own consumption rather than sold.
In 1793, following the French Revolution
, Romanée-Conti was sequestered by the state, and sold 1794, simultaneously with La Tâche. Romanée-Conti ended up being purchased by Nicolas Defer de la Nouerre, who sold it on to Julien Ouvrard in 1819, who paid 78,000 francs
for it. In 1869 it was sold to Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet. After this, the vineyard has not been sold; Duvault-Blochet is the ancestor of the de Villaines (including Aubert de Villaine
), one of two families owning the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
In 1855, when Dr. Jules Lavalle published his classification of the Burgundy vineyards, Romanée-Conti was one of those placed in the highest of five categories, tête de cuvée.
Romanée-Conti was one of the last Burgundy vineyards to be replanted with grafted
vine
s after the phylloxera epidemic struck, despite declining harvests due to declining vigour of the vines. The last vintage of pre-phylloxeric wines was 1945, when the harvest was down to only one-tenth of today's output, or around 2.5 hl/ha, which meant that only 600 bottles were produced in this vintage. Despite this very small production and continuous consumption of the wine, thousands of bottles of Romanée-Conti 1945 have been traded over the decades, including large-format bottles that were never filled by the domaine in this vintage. It has therefore been concluded that Romanée-Conti 1945 is forged
to an unusually high extent.
After the 1945 harvest, the old vines were uprooted, the vineyard left fallow, and replanted in 1947. The first Romanée-Conti vintage produced after the replantation was 1952.
Since 1985, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has practiced organic farming
in the vineyard.
In January 2010, the vineyard was the victim of an extortion
attempt. A note left in the vineyard demanded the payment of a million Euros, threatening poisoning if the money was not forthcoming. Two vines were killed with herbicide
as proof of serious intent. A sting operation
resulted in the apprehension of the culprit, Jacques Soltys. Soltys later committed suicide in jail. His son Cédric, who acted as an accomplice, is awaiting trial.
, 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 hectoliter per hectare, a minimum planting density of 9,000 vines per hectare and a minimum grape maturity of 11.5 per cent potential alcohol is required. The actual yield over the period 2003-2007 was 26 hl/ha.
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 sole 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 Société Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, often abbreviated to DRC, is an estate in Burgundy, France that produces white and red wine. It is widely considered among the world's greatest wine producers, and DRC bottles are among the world's most expensive...
, which takes its name after this vineyard. Romanée-Conti borders on La Romanée
La Romanée
La Romanée 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 main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Comte Liger-Belair...
in the west, Richebourg
Richebourg (wine)
Richebourg 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 main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée, and borders La Romanée and Romanée-Conti in the south,...
in the north, Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Romanée-Saint-Vivant 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 main grape variety. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée...
in the east and La Grande Rue
La Grande Rue
La Grande Rue 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 main grape variety.- Wine style :...
in the south. The AOC was created in 1936.
Wine from the vineyard is among the most sought after, and expensive, in the world. In October 2010, 77 bottles fetched a total of US$750,609 at auction. A single bottle of the 1990 vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
was sold for US$10,953.
Characteristics
"one of the greatest wines of the world and the most perfect as well as the most expensive of Burgundy, the celebrated Romanée-Conti with a forceful bouquet of violet mixed with a scent of cherry, a lively and profound ruby robe, a suaveness of exceptional finesse ... [the] Archbishop of Paris in 1780 declared that this precious blood of the vine was 'velvet and satin in bottles'" "The greatest and most expensive red wine in the world, full bodied and elegant, supple, nervy,-- it's tafetta allied to silk" Of it the wine critic Clive CoatesClive Coates
Clive Coates is a British wine writer and Master of Wine, best known for his books about the wines of Burgundy.-Biography:Born in 1941, Clive Coates worked for The Wine Society in Stevenage in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1975 he founded the award-winning magazine The Vine, a monthly fine...
has stated,
"Breeding. It has the most breed of any wine in the world ... Richebourg is the more massive and Le Romanée[-Conti] finer" "Sense for me this perfume! Breathe this bouquet! Taste it! Drink it! But never try to describe it! Impossible to give an account of such a delicacy with words! To drink Romanée-Conti is equivalent to experiencing an orgasm at once in the mouth and in the nose."
History
The vineyard currently known as Romanée-Conti has had several other different names over the centuries. It was initially called Cros des Clous when it was owned by the Abbey of Saint-Vivant, which was once the owner of much of today's Grand Cru vineyards in Vosne-Romanée, and which leased it out on long-term basis. In 1631, it passed to Philippe de Croonembourg by marriage, a Fleming who was lord of Saint-Genois. At this time, the name was changed to La Romanée, and it is not known what this name refers to. This confusingly is also the name of its immediate uphill neighbour, but the two vineyards have always been in separate ownership as far as is known. In the 1750s, the price of de Croonembourg's La Romanée wine was six to seven times as high as Clos de Vougeot wine, and it was sold in feuillettes, half-size 114 litre barrels. In 1760, the vineyard was purchased from André de Croonembourg by Jean-François Joly acting on behalf of Louis François I de BourbonLouis François I de Bourbon, prince de Conti
Louis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti was a French nobleman, who was the Prince of Conti from 1727 to his death, following his father Louis Armand II. His mother was Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, a natural granddaughter of Louis XIV...
, the Prince of Conti
Prince of Conti
The title of Prince of Conti was a French noble title, assumed by a cadet branch of the house of Bourbon-Condé. It was taken from Conty, a small town of northern France, c. 35 km southwest of Amiens, which came into the Condé family by the marriage of Louis of Bourbon, first prince of Condé,...
. The vineyard was already held in high esteem at this time, and the prince paid a high price for it, 8,000 livres, and apparently an additional sum under the table. This was almost ten times the price per area paid for another highly reagarded vineyard, Clos de Bèze, ten years earlier. Legend has it that the high price was the result of a bidding war between the Prince of Conti and Madame Pompadour, but this has been shown to be incorrect, and a myth concocted by inhabitants of Vosne to add to the prestige and mystique of the vineyard.
In 1764 the Prince of Conti proceeded to rename the vineyard to include his own name. Under the Prince of Conti's ownership, the wine was reserved for his own consumption rather than sold.
In 1793, following the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Romanée-Conti was sequestered by the state, and sold 1794, simultaneously with La Tâche. Romanée-Conti ended up being purchased by Nicolas Defer de la Nouerre, who sold it on to Julien Ouvrard in 1819, who paid 78,000 francs
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
for it. In 1869 it was sold to Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet. After this, the vineyard has not been sold; Duvault-Blochet is the ancestor of the de Villaines (including Aubert de Villaine
Aubert de Villaine
Aubert de Villaine is co-owner and co-director of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. Some of the world's most expensive wines are produced on its vineyard. He was originally co-director with Lalou Bize-Leroy, both having inherited their ownership...
), one of two families owning the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
In 1855, when Dr. Jules Lavalle published his classification of the Burgundy vineyards, Romanée-Conti was one of those placed in the highest of five categories, tête de cuvée.
Romanée-Conti was one of the last Burgundy vineyards to be replanted with grafted
Grafting
Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. This vascular joining is called inosculation...
vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
s after the phylloxera epidemic struck, despite declining harvests due to declining vigour of the vines. The last vintage of pre-phylloxeric wines was 1945, when the harvest was down to only one-tenth of today's output, or around 2.5 hl/ha, which meant that only 600 bottles were produced in this vintage. Despite this very small production and continuous consumption of the wine, thousands of bottles of Romanée-Conti 1945 have been traded over the decades, including large-format bottles that were never filled by the domaine in this vintage. It has therefore been concluded that Romanée-Conti 1945 is forged
Wine fraud
Wine fraud is a form of fraud in which wines are sold to a customer illicitly, usually having the customer spend more money than the product is worth, or causing sickness due to harmful chemicals being mixed into the wine...
to an unusually high extent.
After the 1945 harvest, the old vines were uprooted, the vineyard left fallow, and replanted in 1947. The first Romanée-Conti vintage produced after the replantation was 1952.
Since 1985, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has practiced organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
in the vineyard.
In January 2010, the vineyard was the victim of an extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
attempt. A note left in the vineyard demanded the payment of a million Euros, threatening poisoning if the money was not forthcoming. Two vines were killed with herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
as proof of serious intent. A sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
resulted in the apprehension of the culprit, Jacques Soltys. Soltys later committed suicide in jail. His son Cédric, who acted as an accomplice, is awaiting trial.
Production
In 2008, 1.63 hectares (4 acre) of vineyard surface was in production within the AOC, and 26 hectoliter of wine was produced, corresponding to just under 3,500 bottles. The five-year average annual production of the period 2003-2007 was somewhat higher, 42 hl, corresponding to 5,600 bottles.AOC regulations
The main grape variety for Romanée-Conti 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 hectoliter per hectare, a minimum planting density of 9,000 vines per hectare and a minimum grape maturity of 11.5 per cent potential alcohol is required. The actual yield over the period 2003-2007 was 26 hl/ha.