Romanée Conti

It was in 900 that Manassès, lord of Vergy of the Prieuré Saint Vivant began to cultivate the lands of Romanée Conti. Thereafter, the land remained in the same family, which continued to develop it by buying up neighbouring land. In 1512, the wines of the former Romanée Conti began to be called ‘Cloux de Saint Vivant’. In 1584, the estate was bought by Claude Cousin who bequeathed it to his nephew, Germain Danon, on his death. In 1621, Jacques Venot bought the land and bequeathed it to his daughter and her husband at his death. In 1651, the estate was first called ‘Romanée’. From 1760 onwards, the estate was in the hands of His Serene Highness Monseigneur Louis François de Bourbon Prince de Conty Prince du sang, who took care to develop the surface area of the estate, but also the winemaking techniques. It is his son Louis François Joseph Prince de Conti who in 1776 inherited the land. During the French Revolution the land was reclaimed and unused. In 1794, the estate was renamed ‘Romanée Conti’ and was bought by Nicolas Defer de la Noverre. The latter was bought back by Julien Jules Ouvard in 1819.

Jacques Marie Duvault Blochet bought the estate in 1869. Today the estate is still owned by the family; it is co-managed by Aubert de Villaine and Henri Frédéric Roch. The estate now represents 25.5 hectares, making it one of the largest wine estates in Burgundy. Domaine Romanée Conti also known as DRC owns the following grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.

The DRC has developed 8 AOC Grands Cru, these are : Romanée Conti (Pinot Noir), la Tâche (Pinot Noir), Richebourg (Pinot Noir), Romanée Saint-Vivant (Pinot Noir), Grand Echezeaux (Pinot Noir), Echezeaux (Pinot Noir), Montarchet (Chardonnay) and Corton (Pinot Noir for the red AOC and Chardonnay for the white AOC).

A wine of excellence, the Romanée Conti are known throughout the world. Fans and the world’s greatest restaurants are competing for pre-ordered bottles at a golden price. Last year, in 2015 Romanée Conti Grand Cru was awarded the title of the second most expensive bottle in the world (12 169€ on average).

The wines of Domaine Romanée Conti (DRC) are making records at auction. Some auction houses even organize special ‘Romanée Conti’ sales. We often have the opportunity to sell bottles of Romanée Conti.

If you would like to include a lot of Domaine Romanée Conti wine, please contact Marion QUESNE, head of the Wine & Spirits department at Aguttes.