Lot 32
Burgundian Bedrocks

12 – 750ml 1985 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, La Tâche – in the original, unopened wood box
1 – 750ml 1985 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Conti

The Grand Cru vineyards are the bedrock upon which Burgundy’s sterling reputation rests. Their names are the stuff of legends; names such as Charlemagne, Richebourg, Chambertin, Echézeaux. So powerful is their reputation that neighboring vineyards often seek to enhance their stature by appending their names to the nearby Grand-Cru, creating designations such as Gevrey-Chambertin or Chassagne-Montrachet.

While ownership of most Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy has become fractured over the centuries, two remain under a single Domaine, the “monopole” vineyards of La Tâche and Romanée-Conti. The Domaine which shepherds their legacy and that of substantial holdings in several other Grand Cru vineyards is the incomparable Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. World demand for the wines of DRC remains, as it always has, in the stratosphere. Auction results for its wines are setting the world on fire, with previous records shattered almost on a daily basis.

The lucky individuals who own classic bottles of DRC are seeing the value of their investments multiply faster than almost any other. Part is the legendary reputation of the Domaine, but an equally important factor is scarcity. Unlike wines of similar quality made elsewhere in France, the top wines of Burgundy are produced in excruciatingly small quantities.

The total production from La Tâche is a mere 1,624 cases, most of which are sold as part of a mixed case, not as a complete case. Bearing in mind that many of these bottles have been consumed by fortunate connoisseurs already, and the few that remain are scattered in cellars stretching from Beijing to Belgium, encountering a full unopened case of 1985 DRC La Tâche is along the lines of discovering the Rosetta Stone.

A brilliant example of this magnificent monopole, the 1985 La Tâche is expansive and fragrant, a light ruby gem, showing no signs of age. Its sweet jammy fruit is balanced by the harmonious interaction of its luscious, silky-textured finish. Oh, the pleasures that await the lucky person that cracks the seal on this case.

For comparison’s sake and, as a little incentive, a single bottle of DRC’s Romanée-Conti monople from the same vintage is also part of this lot. Literally a 100-point wine and one of the reasons the world went crazy over the 1985 Burgundy vintage, this Romanée-Conti has been called “utterly mind blowing.” Its heady, intoxicating bouquet delivers penetrating and sublime aromas, and its palate delivers “a veritable smorgasbord of earthly and heavenly delights.” Rich, opulent, and concentrated - Burgundy doesn’t get any better than this.

DONORS: Linda & Bill Macartney, III