2008 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru

BY NEAL MARTIN | SEPTEMBER 09, 2024

I know, I know, I know. With all the discussion about the unaffordability of Burgundy, why this 2008 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru? Simply because this bottle was not scurried away in some dusty cellar. It was not used to make a profit. It was not brandished about to show off someone’s wealth. It had one reason and one reason only–to be drunk for what it is, something as banal and wondrous as wine.

The 2008 Romanée-Conti is an exquisite articulation of Pinot Noir in a challenging growing season. Former cellar master Bernard Noblet practiced strict sorting, resulting in approximately half the usual crop. Showing light bricking on the rim, the bouquet is not dazzling in its complexity. Instead, it has an ethereal airiness as if brambly red fruit is suddenly floating in the air. This gains intensity with aeration because, for once, we could appreciate this wine for over an hour. Iris and potpourri hints eventually emerge, while the 80% stem inclusion imparts a subtle tertiary character. The palate is cut from a similar cloth. Reflecting that vintage, this is a fine-boned Pinot Noir with filigree tannins, perfect acidity and light earthy/undergrowth scents filtering through the pretty red fruit. It is no more, no less than a delicious red Burgundy that had fulfilled its true raison d’être. 96/Drink 2024-2048.

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