2014 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, La Tache Grand Cru 1x750ml

Robert Parker 96-98

The 2014 La Tache Grand Cru is a very refined nose, so much so that blind I might mistake it from Romanee-Conti (as I opined to Bertrand de Villaine himself). Very precise, extremely pure and with wonderful mineralite, there is a lucidity embroidered into this wine. The palate is medium-bodied, symmetrical, with a little edginess creeping in here that lends the finish a sense of animation. The fruit shades from red to more black as it opens, yet the aftertaste is extraordinarily long and persistent. There is a kind of magic in this La Tache. Before commenting upon Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s wines, I should re-emphasize as I did last year, that tasting this illustrious domaine’s wines from barrel is for academic purposes. These 2014s will not be offered to consumers until they are in bottle and of course, they will inevitably change and evolve in the intervening period, as all Burgundy wines are prone to do between barrel and bottle. On the other hand, I personally find it educational to chart their progress from prenatal wines in barrel, through their respective elevages, then not only in bottle after release, but (fingers crossed) during their lifetime. This is why I always post mature bottle notes in my "Up From The Cellar" series. I do hope readers gain vicarious pleasure from these barrel notes, some insight from the commentary that will complement the article composed when I eventually taste them again in bottle. I tasted through these wines with the stocky but affable Bertrand de Villaine, who is now taking more and more daily responsibilities from his uncle Aubert. It was one of the most interesting barrel tastings that I have performed in their hallowed cellars. That does not imply they were the greatest that I have ever tasted. Bertrand kindly left me to my own thoughts as I tasted through the reds, but requested my thoughts afterwards. I felt that this was a septet of mischievous children, teasing me by mimicking each other’s personalities. La Tache and Romanee-Conti had decided to swap, the former so ineffably discrete, Romanee-Conti "putting it out" there and letting it’s hair down. Picture an Oxford don doing the conga. Richebourg decided to align itself with La Tache and seemed to accentuate it tertiary qualities whereas Romanee-Saint-Vivant was more like Grands Echezeaux, and so damn seductive that one had to resist temptation and call over to Bernard Noblet, a lanky lighthouse what with that lamp strapped around his head, and order him to bottle it immediately. [Neal Martin, 28/09/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050

Vinous 96+

Bright medium red Ineffably complex, pure scents of fresh raspberry, cherry, rose petal, peppery spices, crushed herbs and mint Almost surprisingly silky on entry, then sweet but very restrained, even a bit ungiving, in the middle palate, with pungent red berry and mineral flavors conveying an impression of electric energy This wine builds slowly and inexorably with air, opening out into a peacock’s talk of a finish that’s lifted by a pungent hint of green pepper This youthfully austere wine will need a good 15 years to display its inherent flesh and richness but even today it stands out for its finesse [Stephen Tanzer, 03/01/2017]

Anticipated maturity: 2030-2044