Domaine de la Romanée-Conti : La Tâche Grand cru Monopole 2018

Characteristics and tasting tips for La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole 2018 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Tasting

Appearance

The appearance unveils a deeply saturated ruby red color, evolving towards garnet tints at the rim of the glass. This color intensity bears witness to the exceptional maturity of the grapes and the whole-cluster vinification, while maintaining remarkable clarity and luminosity for such a young wine.

Nose

The nose reveals extraordinary aromatic complexity. The initial notes evoke black and red fruit, mainly black cherry and blackcurrant, accompanied by a floral bouquet of rose, violet, and lavender. Upon aeration, the wine unveils fascinating secondary aromas: truffle, Asian spices recalling star anise and dried ginger, sandalwood, notes of soy sauce, and touches of autumnal forest floor. The influence of whole-cluster vinification adds a subtle herbaceous dimension and remarkable sophistication.

Palate

On the palate, the wine stands out for its elegance and restraint despite the fruity abundance perceived on the nose. The attack offers softness and a presence of ripe fruit, but the mid-palate reveals a delicate tannic structure, comparable to fine lace. These refined tannins support the fruity expression without ever overpowering it. The palate develops in three distinct acts, unveiling flavors of green malt, red fruit, autumn leaves, and a minerality evoking the limestone of the terroir. The finish is characterized by remarkable salinity and sapidity, bringing freshness and persistence. The aromas continue to evolve for several minutes after tasting, bearing witness to exceptional length.

Food and wine pairings

La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole 2018 pairs magnificently with furred and feathered game meats. It goes perfectly with roasted or braised venison with a mushroom sauce or a red fruit reduction. Noble poultry like pheasant, partridge, or grouse, prepared in a traditional manner, also constitute harmonious matches. Roasted duck, particularly with a cherry or raspberry sauce, creates a remarkable pairing with the wine's fruity aromas. Lamb with herbs or braised with mushrooms represents another excellent option. Mushroom-based preparations, notably with porcini, boletes, or truffles, resonate particularly well with the wine's truffle notes. Braised or roasted beef preparations accompanied by dark sauces or a traditional beef bourguignon are also suitable.

Service and storage

La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole 2018 can be tasted from around 2030 and until around 2040, or even beyond.

A Burgundy Grand Cru of exceptional complexity and elegance

The estate

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has been rooted in Burgundy's viticultural heritage since the thirteenth century, when the monks of the Saint-Vivant priory undertook the planting of vines on this exceptional terroir. Structured in its current form in 1942 by Edmond Gaudin de Villaine, the estate today extends over approximately twenty-nine hectares distributed between the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. Since 2022, Perrine Fenal and Bertrand de Villaine have co-managed the estate, perpetuating a philosophy of excellence based on biodynamic agriculture practiced since 1986 and yields voluntarily limited between twenty and thirty hectoliters per hectare. Recognized worldwide as one of the most prestigious producers in Burgundy, the estate embodies a vision of patrimonial transmission where each generation considers itself the temporary guardian of a timeless heritage.

The vineyard

The La Tâche vineyard extends over 5.94 hectares, of which 5.06 hectares are classified as Grand Cru and 0.88 hectares as Premier Cru, constituting a monopoly of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Located in the commune of Vosne-Romanée, between the Flagey-Échezeaux Grand Cru to the north and Premier Cru plots to the south, the vineyard benefits from an ideal south-east exposure, at altitudes ranging between 250 and 310 meters. The soils are composed of Premeaux brown limestone, dating from the Jurassic period, with varying depths depending on the sectors: shallow soils in the upper parts and deeper rendzinas in the lower zones. This geological structure confers remarkable aromatic complexity and characteristic minerality to the wines. The vines, with an average age of around forty years, are cultivated according to biodynamic principles, with horse plowing to preserve soil structure and microbial life. The estate practices massal selection from plant material inherited from the 1945 replantings, thus preserving a genetic heritage of incomparable finesse. Yields are voluntarily limited to around 25-30 hectoliters per hectare, well below the authorized maximums, in order to favor concentration and optimal phenolic maturity.

The vintage

The 2018 vintage stands out as one of the most exceptional of the decade in Burgundy. Winter and spring were particularly humid, with significant rainfall in March creating substantial water reserves in the soils. April saw unusually high temperatures, reaching 33°C, accelerating vegetative growth. May and June brought humid conditions with frequent rains until mid-June, creating pressure from fungal diseases requiring increased vigilance. From mid-June, a persistent north wind established a dry and hot period that characterized the rest of the season. Two heatwaves in August, with temperatures approaching 40°C, created moderate water stress, but the estate's vines demonstrated remarkable resilience thanks to biodynamic practices and water reserves accumulated in the spring. The early flowering, about a week before that of 2017, and dry summer conditions produced an exceptionally early vintage. The harvest of La Tâche began on September 12, 2018, after a patient wait allowing optimal phenolic maturity to be reached despite sugar levels already high in mid-August. Weather conditions during the harvest were luminous and almost ideal, allowing for a meticulous selection of grapes at perfect ripeness.

Winemaking and ageing

The vinification of La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole 2018 respects the estate's philosophy of minimal intervention. After manual harvesting by a team of over one hundred pickers, the grapes are cooled to slow the start of fermentation, allowing for cold maceration favoring the extraction of aromatic compounds and color. A substantial proportion of the grapes is vinified as whole clusters, with stems remaining intact during fermentation, providing tannic structure and aromatic complexity. Fermentation takes place in small wooden vats, prioritizing indigenous yeasts and spontaneous fermentation. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine undergoes natural malolactic fermentation. Aging is carried out exclusively in new French oak barrels, coming from the François Frères and Taransaud cooperages, for approximately fifteen months following malolactic fermentation. Racking is performed after malolactic fermentation to separate the wine from the lees. The wine is neither fined nor filtered before bottling, thus preserving the entirety of its aromatic complexity and tannic structure. This non-interventionist approach may cause a slight deposit or minor turbidity, considered as testimonies to authenticity.

Grape

100% Pinot Noir