A Magical Evening With Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - the Reds

The Red Wines

The excitement was high before the serving of the reds. What would the giants from DRC be matched up against? And could we guess the wines from Romanée-Conti?

Fourth Set

Wine A: The first impression was very bland, very dry and tannic, which drowned out the flavors that might be hiding in the glass. For me, this wine really fell through in the evening's lineup, and I felt quite confident that this was not a wine from Romanée-Conti.

Wine B: This wine was instantly more interesting. A completely different energy in this wine. Spicy and more fruity with red berries, but also a hint of vanilla from the oak came through. Seemed a bit young and packed lots of tannins, and would no doubt benefit from longer aging, but great potential could be sensed in the wine.

Wine A: Domaine de la Grange des Peres 2020. (This wine from Languedoc was allegedly created by the winemaker from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti)




Wine B: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux 2020

Fifth Set

A serving of cockerel arrived at the table, and soon after the next set of wines arrived.

Wine A: Young and rich in tannins, but lots of flavors of red berries, pepper and a bit of smoke. The majority at the table turned the thumbs down to this glass, and only a single Swiss participant and I liked it. An excellent glass in my opinion.

Wine B: WOW some powerful scents here, really soothing on the nose. In the taste more dark fruit, raisins, and forest floor. Here, too, there was great disagreement around the table, and clearly a wine that divided the waters.

Wine A: Keller Bürgel 2020

Wine B: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée 1 cru 2020

Sixth Set

Wine A: Amazingly delicious scent. This wine almost surrounds you and pulls you down into the glass. In the taste you are hit by red fruit and spice. Where the previous glasses had disappointed the group, this glass lifted the mood instantly. We all loved this wine.

Wine B: This wine was slightly sweeter in its aroma, and far more feminine and characteristically velvety Burgundian pinot noir. A super interesting glass that you could immerse yourself in for a long time. Quite simply delicious!

Wine A: Antoine Lienhardt Emphase 2019

Wine B: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti St. Vivant 2019

The wine from Antoine Lienhardt was another of the evening's big surprises. "It is listed for 39 euros on ShareWine!" one of the participants suddenly shouted, and everyone was both amazed and impressed by this glass. A huge scoop if you see this bottle in the marketplace.

Seventh Set

Wine A: This wine quickly impressed with the wildest aroma. With each whiff, it was as if the background music was replaced by angels singing, and the taste was simply magical. Good acidity, ripe fruit, forest floor, velvety, and layer upon layer upon layer of beautiful elegance that just went on and on. A great wine where you could easily enjoy a single glass over a whole evening. Pure meditation wine, and probably the best glass of the evening so far.

Wine B: This one was also velvety but seemed a little cooler. Where with the first wine you could drink a single glass over an entire evening, this was a wine where you could easily drink the entire bottle over an evening.

Wine A: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti St. Vivant 2020



Wine B: Arnaud Baillot Chambolle-Musigny 2020

Eighth Set

The next dish on the plate was grilled brisket, which was cooked to perfection, and at the same time we quickly moved on to the next set of wines, where the color in the glasses now darkened.

Wine A: This wine was more intense than the previous ones, and with a wonderful scent of roses. The taste was rich and with lots of red fruit, and no trace of oak. Very immediate and drinkable.

Wine B: WOW! From the first smell, the neighboring wine paled completely. This was greatness! Very intense in both aroma and taste. The brisket on the plate could no longer hold my attention and I found myself sitting with eyes closed and just enjoying this wine. It sang so beautiful, almost making you feel weightless, before lovingly pulling you down into the glass. An absolutely perfect wine in every way, and really hard to let go. Absolutely magical!

Wine A: Antoine Lienhardt Clos de Vougeot 2021

Wine B: Domaine de la Romanée Grands Echezeaux 2020

Ninth Set

Phew, the evening's bombardment of wines began to take its toll, and the crisis was lurking ahead. The Spanish guy sitting next to me with a ring in his nose had given up taking more notes, and my own handwriting was also beginning to bear the marks of a festive evening. But the show must go on, and we were far from the finish line, so I had to pick myself up when the ninth set of the evening arrived.

Wine A: In the nose there were herbs, flowers, some plums, and maybe some cherries. A big dark and intense wine with a long aftertaste. Definitely a treat, but not the best of the night.

Wine B: More concentrated and fruity expression. A very delicate and delicious wine. A hugely exciting glass.

Wine A: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton 2020

Wine B: Tino Kuban Les Jardins Vivants En Busigny 2020

(Tino Kuban is a young German winemaker and the one who, among other things, makes the wines at Maison Glandien).

Tenth Set

Wine A: Beautiful color in the glass, and a beautiful aroma of strawberries, forest floor, and a hint of leather. The smell alone revealed that this was a big wine. In the taste a little bit of vanilla, red and dark fruit, a bit of licorice. A beautiful and truly elegant wine. Ummm.

Wine B: Seemed unfiltered in the glass, very floral and elegant in the scent. The taste is less intense and complex, but still with a medium-long finish, soft tannins and high acidity. Not the same balance as the counterpart, and clearly not a DRC. A poor match in my opinion.

Wine A: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 2020

Wine B: Scheuermann Pinot Noir Hoheburg 2020

Eleventh Set

A small reinterpretation of a currywurst was served at the table, and we happily marched on with renewed energy to the eleventh set.

Wine A: A beautiful color, wonderful aroma, red fruit on the palate. I would dare to call it a bit jammy. The wine had a fatness I didn't care for, and this was the only glass I didn't empty. Again a wine that divided the participants at the table, where people either loved it or could not stand it.

Wine B: The most beautiful color in the glass. Lovely scent with a little bit of mint. Here again, there was no doubt that this was a great wine. A huge wine. A majestic wine. Super high quality, and in my opinion a complete wine in perfect balance. The taste had a wild complexity, and there was so much going on in the taste that it was hard to put into words. At the same time, it was fresh and inviting. Absolutely fantastic. Give me more!

Here, even the most hardcore natural wine lovers among the participants had to surrender to the style, and somewhat reluctantly admit that the use of oak actually worked well in this wine.

Wine A: Cecile Tremblay Echezeaux "du dessus" 2018

Wine B: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 2017

Twelfth Set

Wine A: Dark with earthy notes, fine red fruit and some oak. Beautiful, well-made and complex wine.

Wine B: Floral notes and lots of ripe red berries on the nose, slightly spicy and herbal. The taste is significantly more refined and expressive. Beautiful glass.

Wine A: Domaine Trapet Chambertin 2017

Wine B: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg 2017

Thirteenth set

We finally reached the last two wines of the evening.

Wine A: Despite the many wines we had tasted, the aromas from this wine really managed to make an impression. A great energy in this wine, with flavors of spice, pepper and struck match. A worthy wine for the evening's finale.

Wine B: Not quite as distinctive in the aroma. The palate was fresh and lively, with red fruit, pepper, vanilla, and a finish of English licorice.

Wine A: Rings Saumagen GG 2020

Wine B: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg 2020

A Magical Evening Was Over

The evening's lavish program had come to an end. For some participants, this marked the beginning of the party, with more bottles being opened, but for most, the mood was defined by a sense of satisfaction rather than a thirst for more wine. Senses fully saturated with taste and impressions.

The evening's empty bottles were all lined up on a ten meter long table, which was a crazy sight. Unreal what I had drunk this evening. Domaine de la Romanée-Contis Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanée, St. Vivant, La Tâche, Richebourg. Wines I honestly never thought I would get to taste. But the wines from Pierre Girardin, Maison Glandien, Leflaive, Tino Kuban, Arnaud Baillot, Rings and Antoine Lienhardt also made a big impression. This had been the ultimate evening to cross wines off the bucket list, and I will certainly keep an eye out for many of these wines on ShareWine. Definitely worth setting up search agents for these wines on the marketplace.

The evening with the wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was an experience I will never forget. Subsequently, it took a few weeks before the many impressions of the tasting settled in. Wine enthusiasts who regularly drink DRC or similar wines would undoubtedly be able to evaluate the wines from a completely different frame of reference, and with more nuances, but for me everything I tasted that evening was new.

So is Domaine de la Romanée-Conti worth the money you ask? Many are probably sitting with the question whether wines in this price range are worth the money. A difficult question to answer briefly, because many of the evening's wines were truly unforgettable experiences, and I was sent on a trip to wine heaven several times. You know that wonderful place all of us wine enthusiasts have visited before and that we long for every time a new cork is pulled.

So would I buy those kinds of bottles myself if I had that kind of money? Yes, without a doubt.

Can you get similar experiences for less money? Yes, without a doubt...and luckily so 🙂

Cheers 🍷

My Personal Top 3 Wines of the Evening

White Wine

1. Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2020

2. Pierre Girardin Montrachet 2018

3. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Charlemagne 2020

Red Wine

1. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Echezeaux 2021

2. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti St. Vivant 2020

3. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 2017