2008 Romanee Conti

The 2008 Romanee-Conti is a seamless, totally symmetrical wine. I am not sure where the RC starts and ends, it is simply an an all-encompassing wine. With time in the glass, hints of menthol and tar emerge, adding complexity to a deep core of fruit that continues to turn darker in the glass. The 2008 is an implosive, inward wine graced with breathtaking elegance and finesse. Anticipated maturity: 2028-2048. tasted the 2008s in bottle in late June 2011 after having gone through the 2010s from barrel. Aubert de Villaine describes 2008 as a difficult vintage with a lot of rain. Botrytis was an issue and the vineyards required constant attention. On September 14 the weather changed dramatically. A steady north wind dried out the grapes and concentrated sugars quickly, which also reduced the size of the berries. A further selection of fruit lowered yields to an even greater extent, resulting in overall production that is as much as 50% lower than normal for the Domaine. As for the wines, they are magnificent in my view, but will require considerable patience. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

Good medium red. Soil-driven perfume of smoky red fruits, spices and underbrush; showed darker fruits as it opened in the glass. Fuller and more voluminous than La Tache but less obviously high-pitched, sweet and fruity today--less primary in character. But this wine of meditation is ultimately more elegant and laid-back. Conveys an extraordinary impression of plushness without weight. Finishes very long and saline, with slowly building, palate-saturating persistence.