Domaine de la Romanée Conti, La Tache Grand Cru 2009

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: William Kelley

The 2009 La Tâche Grand Cru is still a decade away from the plenitude of maturity, but it's already a head-turning wine, soaring from the glass with an extravagant bouquet of rose petal, Asian spices, grilled meats, rock salt, espresso roast, rich soil tones, plums and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample and richly structured around fine-grained chalky tannins, with a deep and multidimensional core and succulent underlying acids, concluding with a long, fragrant finish. This is an utterly classic La Tâche that ranks among the vintage's high points.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The La Tache has a irrepressible bouquet that just soars from the glass. This is not one of those La Tache wines that is deceptively taciturn, rather it immediately sets out to satisfy the olfactory senses with a heady perfume of incredibly well defined strawberry and redcurrant infused with crushed stone hints of smoke and autumnal woodland. The palate is medium-bodied with complete harmony and every flavour amazingly well defined, as if you could pick each one out, one by one. This is an irresistible La Tache, a little fatter and more generous than previous vintages, with immense weight on the persistent finish that just seems to effortless glide to its conclusion. This is one of the finest La Tache wines that I have encountered at this stage. Tasted February 2012.

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2009 La Tache is a symphony of aromas, flavors and textures. The wine literally covers every inch of the palate with endless nuance and a generous, enveloping personality. There is more than enough fruit to balance the tannins, but despite the open, radiant personality, the 2009 possesses plenty of material and sheer structure to support several decades of cellaring. This is a fabulous wine. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2049. The historic Domaine de la Romanee-Conti has recently moved offices to a renovated complex in the center of Vosne. Aubert de Villaine compares the 2009s to the 1959s. I will have to take his word for it, as I wasn't even close to being born when those wines were made. De Villaine thinks the 2009s will remain open throughout their lives. Unfortunately I wasn't able to taste the Grands-Echezeaux, Richebourg and Romanee-St. Vivant, as the wines were bottled in the days leading up to my visit. I will report on those wines from bottle later this year. The harvest started on September 10 with Corton and ended on September 19 with the last of the Echezeaux. The 2009s were vinified with 100% whole clusters and aged in 100% new oak barrels. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted out of barrel at the Domaine. The La Tache ’09 in barrel is shaping up nicely. It has an indescribably complex bouquet with wild strawberry and Morello, a little apple blossom and limestone. A La Tache that is mercurial in the womb! The palate has razor-like precision, incredible mineralite and a symmetry that would put a smile on a depressed geometrist’s face. Texturally, it reminds me of a Montrachet! Born to be a star. Tasted November 2010.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2009 La Tache is a very subtle wine. It boasts incredible richness and depth, yet remains elusive. Silky, impossibly refined tannins frame the seamless, resonant finish. Nothing in particular stands out. Everything is simply in the right place. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2059. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s 2009s have turned out just as brilliantly as I had hoped. The wines reflect the signature qualities of the year, but never lose their essential classicism. Long-time DRC fans know the domaine bottles in six-barrel lots, which naturally introduces a level of bottle variation that is not found in most other wines. I hope the massive amount of information that has recently come to light regarding counterfeit wines and their proliferation might be the catalyst for the domaine to consider bottling their wines in one homogenous lot, as is common for the vast majority of high-quality wines throughout the world. Once the domaine’s wines mature in 20-30 years it will be impossible to tell the difference between ‘normal’ bottle variation, poorly stored bottles and very good fakes. Certainly consumers who are willing and able to pay the prices these wines fetch are at the very least deserving of a consistent product. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

vinous98

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2009 La Tâche Grand Cru is the most ethereal of the three wines in this flight. Whole cluster influence is especially marked here. A whole range of spice, dried flower, mint and savory overtones infuse the 2009 with layers of nuance. Next to the other wines in this flight, La Tâche is ethereal and harder to fully capture with words, an attribute many, if not most, of the world’s greatest wines share.

vinous97

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2009 La Tâche is a very subtle wine. It boasts incredible richness and depth, yet remains elusive. Silky, impossibly refined tannins frame the seamless, resonant finish. Nothing in particular stands out. Everything is simply in the right place.

vinous98

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2009 La Tâche is a symphony of aromas, flavors and textures. The wine literally covers every inch of the palate with endless nuance and a generous, enveloping personality. There is more than enough fruit to balance the tannins, but despite the open, radiant personality, The 2009 possesses plenty of material and sheer structure to support several decades of cellaring. This is a fabulous wine.

vinous92

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2009 La Tâche Grand Cru has tasted brilliantly before, though this bottle was not in the same leagues. It is quite a high-toned, flashy bouquet with just a touch of VA that ebbs with aeration, though never fully. There is a soupçon of dark chocolate that infuses the red fruit. Interestingly, this was always a heady La Tâche, but this bottle seems to take that a step too far. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, plenty of bitter cherries and crushed red berries laced with tobacco. It's "fat" on the finish with a reasonably generous, spicy end. Fine, but I was surprised when its identity was revealed. Better bottles out there or a wine whose future is not guaranteed to elicit superlatives? Tasted blind at the 2009 horizontal at Club 1243.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Bright red-ruby. Subtle, sweet perfume of black raspberry, spices and truffle. Compellingly sweet, sexy wine with terrific vinosity to frame its ripe berry, floral and underbrush flavors. The wine's inner-mouth aromatic character owes more to spices and earth than to high-pitched fruits and flowers, but this is like bottled pheromones. Finishes with powerful mouthdusting tannins and superb lift and length.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Full ruby-red. Reticent, deeply pitched aromas of purple fruits and violets; I don't find the ineffable spice, pepper and truffle notes this cuvee usually displays at this stage. Wonderfully suave and lively in the mouth, but showing more energy than complexity today. Then quite juicy and delineated on the back half, finishing with a rare combination of power and velvety texture. This really coats the palate and builds but I still wanted more of the pungent floral, spicy high notes and inner-mouth perfume that I find in the 2008.