Luxury Trendsetters: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

From the rolling hills of Burgundy, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) has developed into a highly regarded and sought-after wine producer recognized for record-breaking sales. The brand is known for its exceptional Pinot Noir wines, which are some of the most expensive and coveted wines in the world.

The History

The estate was initially owned by the Abbey of Saint-Vivant, which was founded in the 9th century. The monks planted vineyards on the land and produced wine for centuries. In 1631, the land was acquired by the de Croonembourg family, who further developed the vineyard and expanded its size. In 1760, the land was purchased by Claude François de Jouffroy, who added the name "Romanée" to the vineyard's title. His daughter, Marie, married Nicolas-Joseph Marey, who added "Conti" to the vineyard's name after receiving the title of Count from the King of France in 1760.

In the 19th century, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was acquired by Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet, who was a French entrepreneur and wine merchant. He made significant improvements to the vineyard, such as the introduction of new grape varieties and modern winemaking techniques. In the 20th century, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was acquired by the Leroy family, who have been the owners since 1942. The current owner is investor and connoisseur Aubert de Villaine, who has been managing the estate since 1974.

The Vineyard

The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has a vineyard of approximately 4.5 hectares (11 acres), with 4.5 acres belonging specifically to Romanee-Conti. The remaining of which is divided into seven different Grand Cru vineyards. These vineyards are located in the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy, France, which is known for producing some of the world's finest Pinot Noir wines.

The Wines

The land within Vosne-Romanée is broken into multiple productions of valuable vineyards. While La Romanée-Conti is the flagship producer, there are additional Pinot Noir and even some Chardonnay wines curated annually that also command attention and respect at auction. he seven vineyards are Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Grands-Échézeaux, Échézeaux, and Montrachet.

Romanée-Saint-Vivant

This Grand Cru wine made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Romanée-Saint-Vivant vineyard, which is adjacent to La Romanée-Conti. The wine is known for its finesse, elegance, and complexity.

Richebourg

Another Grand Cru wine made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Richebourg vineyard, which is located in Vosne-Romanée. The wine is known for its depth, richness, and powerful tanins.

La Tâche

Also made from Pinot Noir grapes, the wine is known for its complexity, depth, and spiciness.

Grands-Echezeaux and Echezeaux

This is a Grand Cru wine made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Grands-Echezeaux vineyard, which is located in Flagey-Echezeaux. The wine is known for its richness, complexity, and silky texture. Echezeaux is also one of the best-performing DRC wines at auction with sales that have exceeded $70,000 and a secondary market that has outperformed other comparable sub-indices.

Montrachet

This is a Grand Cru white wine made from Chardonnay grapes grown in the Montrachet vineyard, which is shared with neighboring wineries. The wine is known for its richness, complexity, and intense fruit flavors.

The Market

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines are considered some of the most valuable and sought-after wines in the world, and they are often used as a benchmark for fine wine prices. The investment market for DRC wines is robust, with prices that continue to rise year after year. Per Liv-Ex, prices for DRC Romanee-Conti increased by more than 200% in a 10-year period between 2007-2017 across multiple vintages.

In 2018, a single bottle of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti sold for $558,000 at a Sotheby's auction, setting a new record for the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold. To date, there have been four different vintages which have had the valuation of their cases exceed $300,000 - with the 1990 production leading at more than $475,000 for a case via Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2014. That sale surpassed the previous case record of $402,800, set by a 1999 vintage through Christie's Geneva in 2011. Additional sales include a case of 1985 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti which sold in 2016 for $352,064 at Christie's while in that same year, Sotheby's moved a case of 1995 for $313,037.

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