Domaine de la Romanee Conti – Romanee Saint Vivant 2013

“Il y a deux visages,” commented Aubert de Villaine, as he tasted the Romanee Saint Vivant 2013 Domaine de la Romanee Conti, his own poetic way of observing the duality of this wine, both elegant and yet so intense. We tasted from two barrels. The first had an exquisite and very expressive bouquet with stunning tension and transparency, in my mind a clear level up from the Grands Echézeaux. The palate already has the florality and femininity of a this Grand Cru, but with the backbone one might discern in a Richebourg. The finish is extraordinarily long, while a second barrel from the warmer part of the cellar showed more opulence on the nose and even a hint of viscosity on the finish. It will be fascinating to reexamine this “Janus” once in bottle.