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February 3, 2011

Romanée-Saint-Vivant 1999-2009

What difference a couple of weeks can make. Two weeks previously I had been in Burgundy to collect samples for our Burgundy ’09 tasting. The vineyards were thick with frost and difficult to discern through freezing fog.

As Adam Brett-Smith and I arrived later on in the month, the fog had lifted but it remained resolutely and penetratingly cold. With the craziness of the January Burgundy Offer season behind us, we were able to concentrate on a very different Burgundy trip. We were privileged to be attending a conference held by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, every two years, for all of their distributors from around the world. The two days are educational: exchanging views, learning about one another and about any projects at the Domaine as well as building on relationships and enjoying, together, a number of extraordinary tastings. This year’s vertical tasting was such a delight – 12 years of Romanée-Saint-Vivant.

When we arrived to taste, the excitement was palpable. This was, after all, a historical event; a tasting mapping the transition years of a vineyard which, all critics agree, has been a star in the ascendant since 1999.  We were about to taste every vintage back to 1999, from 2009, finishing with one single vintage from an earlier era, 1989. The tasting was held in a dramatic, atmospheric, vaulted cellar where cellar master Bernard Noblet and his team had gone to every length to maximise our appreciation, from the pristine layout of glasses, leaves strewn decoratively along the length of a long candlelit table through to the perfect service of wines at just the right temperature.

Some background:

Romanée-Saint-Vivant has both fascinating recent and distant histories and is in transition, even today. The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti owns 5.28 hectares of the whole Romanée-Saint-Vivant vineyard which at 9,43 hectares is the largest Vosne Romanée grand cru.  It is generally accepted that the vineyard was gifted to the Priory of Saint Vincent in 1232. It remained in the hands of the church until confiscated at the time of the revolution. The heart of the vineyard was acquired by Nicolas-Joseph Marey, son-in-law of Gaspard Monge in 1791 along with the cuverie. The property remained within the eminent Marey-Monge from then on until, in 1966, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti leased the property with first refusal rights were it to be sold. They became owners in to this hugely respected dynasty.

Given the size of the vineyard, there is great variation in soil profile, which the Domaine has been researching for many years. In fact, out of four main parcels, only two systematically, one sometimes with the other almost always sold off. We had seen a presentation before the Romanée-Saint Vivant tasting explaining work being overseen by Nicolas Jacob, vineyard manager, in the vineyard today. Vines have been grubbed up so that production will be from a mere 3.5ha in the immediate future, a radical response to drainage issues.

This was stark reminder of what the Domaine is prepared to do to continue the sustainability of this property.

 

ROMANEE-SAINT-VIVANT VERTICAL TASTING

2009
Intense plum-ruby, this has a beautiful colour and a wonderful nose, heady, primary black and red fruit, violets and crème de mûre, laced with pepper and spice. The palate takes up the gauntlet, presenting similar aromatics on attack, set within a supple, rich texture – silky, with beautifully-integrated ripe tannins. This is very typical Romanée-Saint Vivant, with the hallmark flamboyance of the vintage – lovely wine.
Corney & Barrow Score 18- to 18+

2008
 A vibrant, limpid ruby, this shimmers invitingly in the glass. The nose is beautiful, caramelised and primary berry fruit vying for dominance, refreshed by hints of dried violets and enhanced by a heady dash of spice. The palate is sweet and generous on attack, easing its way gracefully, revealing a layered complexity through to a long finish, supported by fine-grained tannins – perfectly pitched in the context of the vintage 
Corney & Barrow Score 17++ to 18

2007
Glittering, shimmering ruby, with very faint hints of garnet, this gives a sense of a wine in transition. The nose presents a blend of youthful, sweet, fragrant berry fruit though hints at darker, earthy, mature notes, violet and rose potpourri and shades of leather – intriguing. The palate is similarly rather quirky, at odds initially with the nose, offering very pure red and black fruit, liberally spiced with pepper before revealing a much more sedate side, innate richness complemented by good firm tannins and refreshing acidity. Ultimately both the nose and palate are at one – this has longer legs than we once imagined and warrants further patience
Corney & Barrow Score 17+

2006
Deep, firm ruby, with the faintest hint of garnet, this offers a sensation, inviting nose, from the darker, serious end of the spectrum. This concentrated, toasted black fruit, with an earthy backdrop, is echoed on the palate, which is structured and controlled. An exotically perfumed back palate and the extraordinarily protracted finish, hint at how the wine will progress and the perfectly poised balance of tannins acidity concur – very fine
Corney & Barrow Score 18-

2005
Dense, consistent, intense, jet-shot ruby, this is a beautiful colour- decidedly youthful. The nose is decadent, seductive and sweet – a heady blend of youthful primary notes allied to black fruit compote and earthy back notes, liberally spiced and layered with cream, demanding attention. The palate rises to the challenge with a sense of serenity and nobility suggested by the aromatics. Sedate and authoritative, there is innate richness, concentrated black cherry fruit supported by fine, cocoa-dry tannins. Complex and layered, through to a tremendously long finish, it is clear that there is considerable power here, as yet unleashed – very, very good.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+ to 19

2004
Appealing ruby-garnet in colour, this showed a mark contrast in appearance to that of the intense 2005. The nose is lovely, rather debauched, with hints of caramelised fruit tatin, warm fruitcake and emerging secondary aromatics, combined with a persistent, pure primary palette of perfumed red fruit. The palate is rather sensational in the context of the vintage, rounded, silky, seductive layered and complex. By no means weighty, there is nonetheless an assertive personality, a purity and uplifting freshness throughout and a haunting perfume rose and violet – potpourri, rather than freshly-picked. This is a very attractively balanced 2004, with fine, powdery tannins sustained through a long finish.
Corney & Barrow Score 17 to 18

2003
A very deep, jet-shot ruby, this is very youthful in appearance. The nose is so unusual, playing at the senses with an enticing combination of fresh primary perfume allied to super-spicy, cranberry and cigar box notes with a backdrop which hints at secondary aromas, leather and undergrowth. The palate is something of a surprise, richly-textured certainly yet it dances – gregarious, almost flirtatious in its freshness. There is nonetheless a healthy sense of grip and the finish is both long and high-toned –  remarkable
Corney & Barrow Score 18 to 19

2002
Ruby-garnet in colour, this presents a sherbet-sweet, perfumed nose, bright red fruit and dried petal potpourri. The are hints of hallmark 2002 on the nose, a slightly stalky character playing second fiddle to the fruit. There is something of a disparity between the nose and palate, the latter delivering a plethora of sweet red and black fruit before any hint of the vintage kicks in. Bright and vivacious, this has so much energy and freshness.  There is an elegance and intensity which continues to drive through a long, black fruit profile on the finish
Corney & Barrow Score 17 to(18–) 

2001
A maturing plum-garnet, this is slightly more consistent in colour than the 2002 with a firm, deep core. The nose presents a lovely, decadent, haunting blend of dried fruit compote, juniper, leather and spice, with both lifted freshness and savoury intrigue. The palate maintains this play between youthful fruit and hints of gently advancing maturity. Layers of macerated dark fruit, spice and mocha cream are supported by fine-grained tannins – elegant, intense and beautifully balanced this shows impressive generosity – lovely wine
Corney & Barrow Score 18 to 19

2000
Deep garnet in hue, this offers a very intense, pronounced nose – a combination of macerated autumnal fruit, warm cherry compote, cedar, tobacco and savoury, meaty notes – complex. The palate is cream-textured and upbeat, elegant and fresh – extremely youthful and engaging on attack. There is understated generosity here which has yet to fulfil its potential. Likewise, the palate needs time to meet the challenge presented by the intricacy of the nose but the balance is there and the tannins are sweet and well-integrated, supporting a long, gentle finish.
Corney & Barrow Score 17 to(18+)

1999 
Intense jet-garnet, dense and firm to the core, this 1999 makes an immediate impact. The nose is very subdued, corseted, just hinting at tobacco, spice, macerated black fruit compote, liquorice and pepper. The palate is rich and seductive though remains strictly-controlled, dark, brooding fruit, coated well-integrated ripe tannins, pursuing a focused trajectory from the attack through to the long, pure finish. This seems like textbook Romanée-Saint -Vivant at a very early stage in what will be a long development – so young, so lovely and with so much promise – gorgeous wine.
Corney & Barrow Score 19 to 20 

1989
Slightly faded garnet-tawny, this definitely shows some maturity in terms of appearance. The nose is rather lovely, debauched, presenting leather, game and spice, complemented by a persistent, dried petal perfume. The palate is initially more adroit on attack with dried dark fruit focus to the fore, drier than suggested on the perfumed nose but with an ethereal, captivating beauty, attractive concentration and hallmark Romanée-Saint-Vivant freshness and purity.
Corney & Barrow Score 18 to 18+

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