First taste: Domaine de la Romanée- Conti 2017
This hot vintage has divided opinion, but the wines from Burgundy’s most vaunted estate could reap rewards for those who are lucky enough to get hold of any, says Tim Atkin MW
Tim Atkin MW
‘These are elegant, charming, fine-boned wines for people who like understated red Burgundies’
We ask that you taste in silence’, said the sign by the door, alongside a further request to refrain from snapping selfies or bottle shots. Those entreaties were in vain: social media was full of attendees’ photos and, even though the packed room was quiet and respectful, conversation was still audible, not least between Aubert de Villaine, DRC’s esteemed co-manager, and journalists who wanted to discuss the vintage.
Welcome to the annual tasting of the new releases from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Burgundy’s most famous and prestigious domaine, held in the basement of UK importer Corney & Barrow’s offices near Tower Bridge in central London.
His verdict? ‘A classic, elegant year’ that stands out from the more concentrated wines produced in 2015, 2016 and yet-to-be-released 2018 and 2019. More poetically perhaps, his nephew, Bertrand de Villaine, said the wines were ‘like a young musician, whose talent is already apparent but needs more time to mature and develop’.
In Burgundy, it must be said that 2017 is not a vintage with a stellar reputation. When the majority of the Côte d’Or reds were offered en primeur a year ago, they were rightly described as fruity, bright, juicy and approachable young. More dismissive Burgundians called them ‘restaurant wines’, ideal to sell through comparatively quickly.
Aubert de Villaine, on the other hand, has always maintained that this was a ‘superb harvest’. Was the great man right after all? It was time to find out.
Increased yields
But first, a little background. By the standards of some recent harvests, quantities were generous at DRC in 2017, partly as a result of vines overcompensating for the frost damage in 2016, especially in Echézeaux and Grands Echézeaux, which were nearly wiped out. This means that there is more wine to go round this year.
All seven red grands crus produced more than 30hl/ha and Grands Echézeaux hit 41hl/ha. It could easily have been otherwise, as spring frosts struck again between 27-29 April. This time, vignerons in Vosne-Romanée and other villages saw off the threat by burning bales of straw to create a protective layer of smoke above the vines. Greta Thunberg might not approve, but Burgundy lovers certainly do.
Demand always outruns supply at DRC, even though the wines are undeniably expensive. The Romanée-Conti 2017, for example, is being offered at £3,000 a bottle in bond (see p122), which seems astronomical until you see the line of people queuing up to buy it. At least Corney & Barrow has slightly reduced the release prices for all of the wines compared with the 2016s. Small mercies and all that, as the cheapest grand cru, Corton, is still £300, compared with the 2016’s £310 starting price.
The latest in a series of growing seasons marked by climate change, 2017 was a hot, early vintage, with thermometers hitting 39°C in Vosne-Romanée on 21 June and a further heat spike at the end of August. But partly because of the large crop – reduced, it must be said, by bunch thinning in some parcels – the wines don’t taste over-concentrated or figgy. Indeed, quite the opposite. These are elegant, charming, fine-boned wines for people who like understated red Burgundies. They may not have the structure for long ageing in most cases, but I think they could surprise us as they evolve and mature.
Subtle qualities
Since I tasted the wines in barrel at the domaine in October 2018, they have gained a little in weight and concentration, but these are still comparatively light on their feet. La Tâche in particular is more forward at this early stage of its development than it can be. Romanée-Conti will probably age the longest of the septet, with Romanée-St-Vivant not far behind.
So, was Aubert de Villaine, writing just after the grapes had been picked, justified in calling the harvest ‘superb’? Yes and no. In style, the wines remind me of a combination of 2007, 2011 and 2014, showing ample fruit, good freshness and minerality, and clear differences between the terroirs.
2016 was a superior vintage at DRC, but not by much. 2017 will have its fans, and deservedly so. And this time, there’s more wine available. You just have to secure an allocation.