One of the jewels of the Cote de Nuits and Vosne-Romanée, and arguably the greatest Pinot Noir terroir on earth with a viticultural history dating back as far as the 13th century
Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 2001 - JEROBOAM
300cl in OWC - £180,000 (under bond, excluding UK duty and VAT)
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Domaine de la Romanée-Conti needs little introduction. Nor does their revered, singular, flagship, Grand Cru plot, Romanée-Conti; one of the jewels of the Côte de Nuits and Vosne-Romanée, and arguably the greatest Pinot Noir terroir on earth. With a viticultural history dating back as far as the 13th century, and reputed for much of that time, the vineyard was purchased by the late Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet in 1869, with the de Villaine and Leroy/Roch families subsequently taking charge of the plot and the Domaine, though succession and share purchase. Today, Aubert de Villaine manages the Domaine, with cellar master Alexandre Bernier responsible for the winemaking.
Romanee-Conti produces - and the Domaine produces from it – some of the most profoundly graceful, intellectual, ethereal Pinot Noir on the planet, capable of ageing and improving over many decades
Perched amongst a group of exceptional Grand Cru sites overlooking Vosne-Romanée, the 4.48 acre monopole (single ownership) of La Romanée-Conti, of southerly exposure, lies on well-draining, iron and limestone-rich soil, over marl bedrock, and is farmed solely by hand and horse. Phylloxera ravaged the Domaine’s plots, and much of European, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, decimating yields. As one of the latest sites in Europe to do so, Romanée-Conti was fully replanted into its current guise in 1947, after production hit as low as 600 bottles in 1945 (buyers beware; there have been many more "authentic" bottles exchanging hands of the years).
In the winery, a minimal intervention approach is carried out with no-destemming, long cuvasion, no filtration, any racking and bottling implemented by gravity, and avoidance of any mechanical means. The wine matures for up to two years in 100% new, Tronçais oak.
Only approximately 500 cases of Romanée-Conti are produced annually, with demand on release far exceeding supply. Of this small production, a tiny percentage is bottled into formats larger than already-scarce magnums. This handful of 300cl bottles - and, on very rare occasion, 600cl - are primarily destined for export to the US market. Therefore, finding an immaculate, professionally stored, 300cl JEROBOAM, bottled for the domestic, French market, with no overseas journeying (nor temperature risk), is an absolute rarity. Provinance owns one such bottle.
The vintage: 2001 in the Côte de Nuits was characterised by cool and damp weather for much of the growing season, with late, protracted flowering. Sunnier skies and warmer temperatures in August and at the end of September allowed grapes to reach full ripeness and – for those who chose to wait – a harvest under late September sunshine. The Côte de Nuits was thankfully spared from the August hail that affected yields, disease pressure and quality in much of the Côte de Beaune to the south. This is a classically styled vintage, with the best winemakers and tactical decision-makers producing structed wines of good to excellent quality. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and former winemaker Bernard Noblet produced superb wines in 2001, most notably from La Romanée-Conti, from old, resilient vines, with viticultural practices and decisions besting any negative climatic conditions.
“The purest, most aristocratic, and most intense example of Pinot Noir you could possibly imagine”
Clive Coates
What the critics say:
…The purity and detail are flat out incredible with nuanced, multi-layered flavors wrapped in pinot sap and culminating in an awe-inspiring finish. Silk, velvet and mouth coating sap completely buffer the ripe structure and this RC possesses what all of the great ones do - absolutely perfect harmony; this is seamless and there are no edges. It is as it were a perfect sphere with a haunting finish that I could taste hours later. This too is destined to be a great wine and the distinguishing aspect of this wine is its virtually unmatched transparency.” 97/100 points, Allen Meadows, Burghound“
“…the 2001 is strikingly beautiful today….” 97/100 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
For any questions about the history of this bottle, to express your interest in adding this – or any similarly superior bottles or cases - to your collection, or for anything else, please contact us.
Please note this bottle has sold