Domaine de la ROMANÉE-CONTI (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2023s Tasted from Barrel and Drawn-Off Samples
Succeeding the more-than-magnificent wines from 2022 at the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is a huge challenge, but it was met with these 2023s. The wines are in a somewhat riper style than the 2022s, but still classic. All are over 14º in alcohol and yet the taste fresh and restrained.
Tasted from barrel:
2023 Corton
Very fragrant nose, pure fruits. Extraordinary precision, crystallinity, penetrating, sleek, structured, excellent density. An amazing wine. 100% whole clusters, all three climats are vinified together here. (96-98)
2023 Echézeaux
Spice aromas. Spice and red fruits in the mouth. Again, extraordinary precision, freshness, juiciness, great length in the mouth, finer tannins than the Corton. (96-98)
2023 Grands-Echézeaux
Grands-Echézeaux spice in the nose. Licorice typical of Grands-Echézeaux in the mouth, sensual , generous, fresh, very fine tannins. Very typical of Grands-Echézeaux and a great example. (96-98)
2023 Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Relatively closed nose. Smooth and sensual in the mouth, blueberry fruit, silk texture. Intense, penetrating, tannic. (96-99)
2023 Richebourg
Another wine that is relatively closed on this day. Some oak and some spice in the nose. Texture is not as satiny as that of the Romanée-Saint-Vivant. Intense dark fruits in the mouth, good acidity and freshness, tannins less fine than those of the Romanée-Saint-Vivant. (95-98)
2023 La Tâche
The La Tâche, in contrast to the Richebourg, is showing its all on this day, about as good as it gets. The nose is pure, deep, and explosive, very complex. The explosiveness continues in the mouth with the pure red currant fruit, and the wine combines power and finesse, plus a velvet texture and tremendous length in the mouth. (98-99)
2023 Romanée-Conti
It’s always a classic battle when one gets to compare Romanée-Conti with La Tâche. Very fine spices, great depth in the nose. The mouth is intense, deep, and pure — that descriptor “sphérique” which is so often applied to Romanée-Conti to describe its perfect balance is useful here. With its wild strawberry fruit, dimension, presence, and fabulous length, on this tasting, the wine somehow manages to go beyond La Tâche, if only by a nose. (98-99)
And the two whites, tasted from drawn-off samples because they are kept in a different cellar:
2023 Corton-Charlemagne
The nose here is powerful but still relatively undeveloped, but it does show almonds, butter, and apples. The mouth is rich with butter and apple flavors and the wine has great sappiness. This is made in the same very ripe style as the Montrachet. The Domaine has four parcels of Corton-Charlemagne, and each is vinified separately before the wines are blended. (95-97)
2023 Montrachet
The nose here is round, rich, and spicy with some honey showing. in the mouth, the wine is mineral with excellent acidity, and some blood orange and clementine flavors along with a touch of honey. Although ripe, the wine is less ripe than in many prior vintages, and it shows excellent freshness. (96-98)