Winemaker Notes
Romanée-St-Vivant is flirtatious; one cannot help loving it. Behind this grace resides a strength in such perfect balance that, at first, it is imperceptible.
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was picked on 20 and 21 of September at 18hL/ha and contains slightly less whole bunch than the Domaine's other cuvées this year. It has a whip-cracking bouquet, one that just stops you in your tracks. Red cherries, freshly picked raspberries, wilted rose petal and very light loamy scents soar from the glass. No wonder this is poured after the Richebourg. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, stunningly vibrant red berry fruit, hints of tobacco and graphite that percolate through with time in the glass. It fans out gloriously towards the finish. Awesome length. What distinguishes this from the Richebourg is the tension throughout from start to finish. Heavenly. 1,351 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in bottle tasting in London.
-
Decanter
Less flashy than the Richebourg, this is already showing a wonderfully precise, concentrated and pure core. Tannins are evident but are so fine they caress the palate. Intense dark fruit blossoms as the wine breathes, putting on extra weight and finishing with some red cherry and redcurrant hints on the finish. Surprisingly approachable, this will also be a wine to savour and contemplate in future decades. With 1,351 cases made, this is the largest production of any of the DRC wines. However, the yield was only 18hl/ha.
-
Jasper Morris
This was in a difficult place to taste a year ago in barrel. Quite a full dark purple on the nose, the fruit is notably darker on the nose, with more power than detail at first sniff. Some blacker fruit alongside the crushed strawberry, builds beautifully across the palate, sensual certainly and I am sure the sense of refined detail I look for in Romanée St-Vivant will come later. Very light coffee notes as well. Strawberries strengthen on the nose. Quite firm tannins at the moment, but excellent length.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru wafts from the glass with breathtaking aromas of raspberries and strawberries mingled with bergamot, Indian spices, peonies and rose petals. Full-bodied, vibrant and perfumed, it's finer boned than the more muscular Grands-Échézeaux, with a bright spine of acidity and beautifully refined tannins, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Striking for its purity and elegance, my handwritten notes include the phrase "pure sensuality."
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
This is the village for the most die-hard Burgundy fanatics. Vosne-Romanée has for many hundreds of years been the source of the most sought-after Pinot Noir in Burgundy. The village claims six Grands Crus—and some of the most famous at that—but in other villages where owners manage tiny parcels or a few rows of any one vineyard, monopolies dominate the Grands Crus of Vosne-Romanee.
Of these monopolies, Domaine Romanee-Conti (DRC) reigns supreme, claiming not only more total vineyard area than any other producer, but outright owning the entirety of two of the Grands Crus and a majority of two others. In its full possession are naturally Romanée-Conti, as well as La Tâche. DRC also owns most of Richebourg and Romanée-St-Vivant. The final two, La Grande Rue and La Romanée are completely owned by other other produers: François Lamarche and Comte Liger Belair, respectively.
While one could spend a lifetime on the puzzles of land ownership in Burgundy, the point is that Vosne-Romanee contains the most valuable pieces of vineyard real estate in the world. Pinot Noir from any of its vineyards—especially from within its 27ha of Grand Cru or 58 ha of Premier Cru land—is going to rank among the best.
The most outstanding wines from this village have everything: finesse and elegance coupled with the body and sturdiness for incredibly long aging ability. They are intensely floral and exotically spiced. Beautifully ripe, complex and ephemeral throughout, they are robust, yet fine-grained in texture. These wines will stay gorgeous for the long haul.