Critic Notes
What was a brooding, reserved, somewhat austere yet classic nose has become highly perfumed with picture perfect aromas of red and black fruits cut with lavish spice and aromatic nuances plus subtle touches of earth, soy and hoisin that combine to create a bouquet of simply stunning complexity. The purity and detail are flat out incredible with nuanced, multi-layered flavors wrapped in pinot sap and culminating in an awe-inspiring finish. Silk, velvet and mouth coating sap completely buffer the ripe structure and this RC possesses what all of the great ones do - absolutely perfect harmony. this is seamless and there are no edges. It is as it were a perfect sphere with a haunting finish that I could taste hours later. This too is destined to be a great wine and the distinguishing aspect of this wine is its virtually unmatched transparency. There is certainly no vintage in the last 20 years with the possible exception of the 1996 that can match it in this regard. Allen Meadows, Burghound Apr28,2007
Score: 97 / 100Allen Meadows, Burghound
The extroverted 2001 Romanee-Conti is medium to dark ruby-colored and displays intensely spicy black cherry aromas. Juicy, supple, as well as packed with spiced, candied black fruits, this medium-bodied wine is concentrated, lush, and velvety-textured. It reveals more tannin than its siblings, yet it is ripe and enveloped in fruit. Projected maturity: 2005-2014. Concerning the 2001s, de Villaine, the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s co-director, stated that “it was not an easy year, it was a real roller coaster for vignerons. The estate’s vineyards, like everyone in Burgundy, had rot infestations so we did two harvests, one for the best, healthiest bunches and then another. Of course, we meticulously sorted all the fruit as we always do.” Those readers who are always looking for news concerning the next vintage will be interested to hear the following. Unlike almost all his colleagues who said that 2002 was going to be a spectacular vintage, de Villaine informed me that it would “another irregular year.” Pierre Rovani, Wine Advocate # 147
Score: 91-93 / 100The Wine Advocate
The extroverted 2001 Romanee-Conti is medium to dark ruby-colored and displays intensely spicy black cherry aromas. Juicy, supple, as well as packed with spiced, candied black fruits, this medium-bodied wine is concentrated, lush, and velvety-textured. It reveals more tannin than its siblings, yet it is ripe and enveloped in fruit. Projected maturity: 2005-2014. ||Concerning the 2001s, de Villaine, the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s co-director, stated that “it was not an easy year, it was a real roller coaster for vignerons. The estate’s vineyards, like everyone in Burgundy, had rot infestations so we did two harvests, one for the best, healthiest bunches and then another. Of course, we meticulously sorted all the fruit as we always do.”||Those readers who are always looking for news concerning the next vintage will be interested to hear the following. Unlike almost all his colleagues who said that 2002 was going to be a spectacular vintage, de Villaine informed me that it would “another irregular year.” Wine Advocate.June, 2003
Score: 91-93 / 100Pierre Rovani
