Since they were tasted in April while still in cask, it’s not sensible to point the various red growths of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti from the excellent 1996 vintage. My impressions of these wines, of which very small quantities are earmarked for shipping to this country, was simply that I would have preferred the opportunity to deal with Australia’s entire allocation then and there. Concentrated, firm and creamy, the Echezaux is enticingly scented with intense aromas of cherries and plums. The Grands Echezaux looks a little stalky at present, but fails to conceal a deep core of powerful fruit. The Romanee-St-Vivant is still more closed, with wonderful firmness, weight and powdery tannins. Long, tight and perfumed, the Richebourg is a powerful, cedary wine which finishes with great restraint, while the La Tache sports a sauvage, uncrafted side to its opulent, heady aroma. Described as a ‘rough diamond’ by cellar master Bernard Noblet, it’s a huge, creamy wine which simply needs time in the bottle to finish. Not unsurprisingly, the Romanee-Conti is the cut version; supremely long, concentrated and wild, with a lavish, creamy texture and layer after layer of toasty, smoky depth and power. Sometimes you wonder why they bottle it!
