Domaine de la ROMANÉE-CONTI (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2022 Tasted from Bottle
After tasting the 2022s from barrel at the Domaine, I wrote:
… I have tasted many great vintages and many great wines from the Domaine. Consequently, when I say that I came away from my tasting of the 2022s feeling that it was the most impressive set of wines I’ve ever tasted there, that is a statement that means something. That said, as I pointed out in my introduction to the vintage overall, there are serious shortcomings to comparing wines across periods of time, just as there are to comparing paintings, music, literature, athletic achievements, etc. … .
Tasting now from bottle, that judgment still stands. These wines are phenomenal expressions of phenomenal terroirs from a phenomenal vintage. I urge you to read the report linked to above which gives more detail on the vintage and the harvest dates for each wine.
A look through vines of Romanée-Saint-Vivant at the administrative offices of the Domaine
But why should you read this if you are unlikely ever to experience the wines given the current demand for and price of the wines? My response is first, even if one does not ever get to taste the wines, it worth knowing what the summits of excellence are and experiencing them, even if vicariously. Second, one never knows when a fortuitous opportunity may arise, in which case it is worthwhile have notes to reference. I do the same with other estates that are beyond the means of most readers (at least for the top wines) such as Rousseau and Roumier.
The tasting was held in the center of Vosne-Romanée at La Goillotte, which in past times has served as a meeting place for hunts of the Ducs of Burgundy and subsequently as the vat room for the wines of the Prince de Conti:
On to the wines:
2022 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault-Blochet
As in 2021, the majority of this wine is from young vines of La Tâche. The nose is pure, austere, and stony with intensity, depth, and tremendous focus. The mouth is pure, beautiful, and intense with red fruits, a chiseled structure, but there is sensuality here and great layering of the fruit. This is a remarkable success. 96(+)/A+
2022 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts
The Vosne-Petits Monts is less open in the nose than the Duvault-Blochet. The mouth is ample, smooth, and rich with dark fruits that are dense and concentrated. But this wine is considerably more closed and seems more tannic today than the Duvault-Blochet. Give it time in bottle. 93+/A
2022 Corton
As with the two previous wines, I did not taste this wine when I tasted from barrel in 2023. The chiseled structure is here with precise red berry fruit that falls across the tongue and Corton’s noble austerity of structure. The wine is linear and shows great depth. 96/A
2022 Echézeaux
In my early days of tasting the Domaine’s wines, Echézeaux was one of two wines in the line up that seemed a little below where it should be in quality. That changed a few decades ago, and now it is every bit what it should be. The wine has a spiced berry nose. The mouth is generous and sensual with dark fruits than the Corton and a savory aspect. It is spicy and energetic, with some tannin at the end that will help for future aging. 96/A
2022 Grands-Echézeaux
In contrast to the Echézeaux, the Grands-Echézeaux back in the 1980s and early 1990s stood out for it great quality, and also for its forwardness. Yet, as attractive as the Grands-Echézeaux are young, they age magnificently. The nose here is floral, and the mouth is sensual, smooth, and spicy with dark fruits, a black licorice note that is typical of the terroir, and notable length. 97/A+
Bottles of Romanée-Saint-Vivant
2022 Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Along with the Echézeaux, the other wine that often seemed a relative laggard back in the 1980s was the Romanée-Saint-Vivant. When I noticed an improvement at the beginning of the 1990s, I asked Aubert de Villaine about it. He said that during the period when the Domaine rented the property, there where restrictions on what could be done in the vineyard, but once the Domaine purchased the vineyard, it started making changes that led to the improvement in quality. For a long time now, it has been a horse race every year between the Richebourg and the Romanée-Saint-Vivant as to which was my favorite, notwithstanding their contrasting characters. The 2022 has typical spicy aromas. The mouth is intense, deep, energetic, and nervy with dark and red fruits and the sensuality of Romanée-Saint-Vivant. The wine is pure, layered, and very long. It is one of the greatest Romanée-Saint-Vivants I have experienced. 98/A+
2022 Richebourg
The Richebourg has a spiced nose. The mouth is ethereal and weightless on the tongue with incredible length. There are hints of the Richebourg fireworks on the palate that I think will expand with further aging. 98(+)/A+
2022 La Tâche
I’ve had many great La Tâches over the years, but this wine is the equal in overall quality of any that I can recall. It is not scored 100 because 99 is the highest rating I give. The tremendous spicy nose is one of the hallmarks of this great vineyard. In the mouth, the wine shows perfect harmony with ebullient dark fruits. The wine is a tour-de-force: spherical is a term usually applied to the Romanée-Conti to reflect its perfect balance and harmony, but it applies here, too. 99/A+
Working the Romanée-Conti vineyard by horse
2022 Romané-Conti
Speaking of spherical, that is also the perfect descriptor for the Romanée-Conti itself. The wine is the complement to the exuberance of La Tâche with its overall harmony. It is intense, deep and pure with energetic dark fruit — the strawberries I usually find in Romanée-Conti aren’t here today. The wine is layered with a velvet texture and incredible complexity. 99/A+
We finish with the two whites:
2022 Corton-Charlemagne
The Corton-Charlemagne is notable for its finesse, intensity, and minerality. It is light on the palate and drinks beautifully now with long white and yellow fruits. 98/A+
2022 Montrachet
This is a different style of Montrachet than I have seen in the past at the Domaine (although the 2021 already was on this path). It is less rich, opulent, and baroque. There is richness here, but the wine is light on the palate. Finesse, harmony, and balance are the key elements with length, layering, and subtlety. As impressive as the wine is now, I expect it will continue to develop and show even more with aging. 98/A+
After I finished tasting the wines, I conversed with Bertrand de Villaine and conveyed my impression of the amazing quality of these wines. Needless to say, he was happy, but he also stressed how these wines show so well now that it is not necessary to cellar them, one can enjoy them immediately.