DRC 2007: An incomparable and low-yielding vintage

Monday morning marked the UK trade’s chance to try the 2007 wines from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti at Corney & Barrow’s Tower Bridge offices in London.

The vintage, which produced yields 20% lower than 2006, was described as incomparable by Aubert de Villaine, co-director of the domaine, who came to London for the morning tasting.

Speaking to the drinks business, he summed up 2007 as “an awkward vintage,” noting extremes of weather from an extremely hot April to a rainy, humid and cold mid-summer, before the arrival of an extended period of perfect conditions from 20 August to well after the harvest.

“I cannot compare it with another vintage,” he said, “2007 is very different”.

Interestingly, he explained that the onset of botrytis by the beginning of August due to the wet conditions actually benefited the wines from the domaine, which include Echézeaux, Grands Echézeaux, Richebourg, Romanée-St-Vivant, La Tâche and Romanée-Conti.

“The botrytis, which we hated to see arriving, finally had a positive effect because it diminished the yield by creating a natural thinning,” he explained. “Without this,” he added, “We might not have had as good maturity.”

However, the presence of botrytis did require the domaine to perform extremely careful grape selection. “2007 was the longest harvest we have ever had,” he said. “It took 11 days because of the sorting.”

He also said that yields were down 20%.

Considering the character of the resulting wines, he added: “These are wines for those who like chamber music. You won’t get big fruit and warmth but a vintage that is chiselled, pure and will need time to blossom, although you can drink it young if you are sensitive to the subtleties.”

He also said “It is a vintage where the aromatics are strong.” As for longevity, he commented, “It will change a lot in 10-15 years and go to the rose petal character that is so great in old wines.”

In terms of demand and DRC allocations, de Villaine said: “There is increasing pressure from the Far East, although they cannot take too much because there is so little [made].”

Traditionally the UK, US and Japan take the largest allocations – a situation that de Villaine said would not be changing.

Adam Brett-Smith, managing director at Corney & Barrow, UK agent for the domaine, said his allocation of DRC 2007 would be “oversubscribed by four to eight times without doubt.”

He added: “Commercially you could argue that today’s tasting is not necessary but the best way to maintain an allocation for the UK is to attract a growing band of enthusiasts and buyers – key opinion formers who can discuss its merits.”

Quantities produced in 2007 (9 litre cases) compared to average production:

Echézeaux – 1,233 (average 1,340)
Grands Echézeaux – 754 (average 1,150)
Romanée-St-Vivant – 1,165 (average 1,500)
Richebourg – 1,136 (average 1,000)
La Tâche – 1,403 (average 1,870)
Romanée-Conti – 400 (average 450)

Patrick Schmitt, 18.02.2010