Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)

The vineyard that gives the domaine its name was first recorded in 1232, when the Abbey of Saint Vivant in Vosne acquired 1.8 hectares of exceptional mid-slope terroir. In 1631 the de Croonembourg family purchased and renamed it La Romanée, and in 1760 Louis François, Prince of Conti, added his title, creating the name Romanée-Conti. The vineyard passed through post-Revolutionary auction and several owners before Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet purchased it definitively in 1869, building the multi-parcel estate we recognise today by adding Richebourg, Grands-Échézeaux, and Échézeaux. The Société Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti took its current two-family ownership structure in 1942 when Henri Leroy purchased a 50% stake from the Chambon family.

• Vineyard origins traced to 1232 under the Abbey of Saint Vivant in Vosne-Romanée
• Name 'Romanée-Conti' established in 1760 after purchase by Louis François, Prince of Conti
• Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet acquired the estate in 1869 and built its modern multi-parcel form
• Société Civile co-owned by the Gaudin de Villaine and Leroy families since 1942

DRC has defined what Grand Cru Burgundy excellence means for generations of winemakers and collectors. The domaine is the only producer in Burgundy that can claim every single wine it bottles carries Grand Cru status, and it is consistently the largest landholder in most of its appellations. Its early transition to organic farming from 1985 and progressive adoption of biodynamics helped legitimise these methods across Burgundy at a time when they remained controversial. In 2015, after a decade of lobbying led by Aubert de Villaine, UNESCO granted World Heritage status to the Burgundy Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune climats, recognising the cultural and viticultural significance of the landscapes DRC helped champion.

• The only Burgundy estate whose entire bottled portfolio consists exclusively of Grand Crus
• Largest landholder in most of its appellation sites, including Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, and Échézeaux
• Pioneer of organic and biodynamic viticulture in Burgundy, beginning organic conversion in 1985
• Aubert de Villaine's decade-long lobbying led to UNESCO World Heritage status for Burgundy's vineyards in 2015

DRC has practiced organic farming since 1985 and began experimenting with biodynamic methods on selected parcels in the 1990s. After seven years of trials the entire domaine was converted to biodynamics in 2007, with Biodyvin certification following in 2017. Yields are kept deliberately low, averaging around 25 hl/ha against a Grand Cru maximum of 35 hl/ha, achieved through severe early pruning and green harvesting in July and August. Soil supplements are limited to compost made from crushed vine roots, grape skins, and fermentation residues. To avoid soil compaction, horses have been reintroduced to cultivate the Romanée-Conti and Le Montrachet parcels. Average vine age across all holdings is approximately 44 years, and plant material is largely propagated through massal selection from within the estate's own vineyards.

• Organic farming since 1985; full biodynamic conversion completed in 2007; Biodyvin-certified since 2017
• Yields average 25 hl/ha, well below the Grand Cru maximum of 35 hl/ha
• Horses reintroduced to cultivate Romanée-Conti and Montrachet parcels to avoid soil compaction
• Massal selection from estate vines; average vine age approximately 44 years across all holdings

DRC's portfolio spans nine Grand Cru sites covering approximately 28 hectares. Its two monopoles are Romanée-Conti (1.81 ha, around 5,000 to 6,000 bottles annually) and La Tâche (6.06 ha, around 20,000 bottles annually). Non-monopole red Grands Crus include Richebourg (3.51 ha, around 12,000 bottles), Romanée-Saint-Vivant (5.29 ha, leased from 1966 and purchased outright in 1988, around 18,000 bottles), Grands-Échézeaux (3.53 ha, around 14,000 bottles), and Échézeaux (4.67 ha, around 16,000 bottles). The lone white Grand Cru is Le Montrachet (0.68 ha, around 3,000 bottles). Corton red wines from leased parcels debuted in 2009, and a Corton-Charlemagne white from a leased plot at Bonneau du Martray was first produced in 2019.

• Two monopoles: Romanée-Conti (1.81 ha, 5,000 to 6,000 bottles) and La Tâche (6.06 ha, 20,000 bottles)
• Romanée-Saint-Vivant leased from 1966, purchased outright from the Marey-Monge family in 1988
• Le Montrachet (0.68 ha, 3,000 bottles) is DRC's flagship white; Corton-Charlemagne added from 2019 vintage
• Total estate production across all cuvées: 6,000 to 8,000 cases annually

DRC wines are built on elegant restraint rather than power or extraction. The cellar approach emphasises minimal intervention: indigenous yeast fermentations, extended aging in oak (typically 16 to 20 months), minimal filtration, and hand bottling. Young DRC reds show vivid red cherry, rose petal, white pepper, and pronounced limestone minerality; with a decade or more of cellaring, tertiary notes of forest floor, undergrowth, truffles, dried violets, and spiced leather emerge. The finest vintages are built to develop over 40 years or more. Romanée-Conti itself is often described as the purest and most elegant expression of Pinot Noir in existence. Recommended drinking windows for top years typically begin at 15 years post-vintage.

• Minimal-intervention winemaking: indigenous yeasts, 16 to 20 months in oak, minimal filtration
• Young profile: red cherry, rose petal, white pepper, limestone minerality
• Aged profile (10 or more years): truffle, forest floor, dried violets, spiced leather
• Top vintages built for 40 or more years of development; recommended drinking from 15 years onwards

Since 1942 the domaine has been co-owned by the Gaudin de Villaine and Leroy families, each holding 50%. Aubert de Villaine served as co-director from 1974 to 2021, having previously shared management with Lalou Bize-Leroy from 1974 until her departure in 1992. Following the death of co-director Henry-Frédéric Roch in 2018, Perrine Fenal (daughter of Lalou Bize-Leroy) joined Aubert de Villaine at the helm. Since January 2022 the estate has been co-directed by Perrine Fenal and Bertrand de Villaine, Aubert's nephew, who joined the domaine in 2008. Auction prices reflect the wines' status: a 1945 Romanée-Conti fetched $558,000 at Sotheby's New York in October 2018, while a 2005 La Tâche magnum achieved €35,000 at Sotheby's Beaune in 2024.

• Co-directed since 2022 by Perrine Fenal (Leroy family) and Bertrand de Villaine (Gaudin de Villaine family)
• Aubert de Villaine co-directed from 1974 to 2021; transitioned to advisory role in 2022
• 1945 Romanée-Conti sold for $558,000 at Sotheby's New York in October 2018, a world record for a standard bottle
• Wines consistently rank among the world's most valuable; five DRC cuvées placed in 2023's global top-ten most valuable wines