Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (도멘 드 라 로마네-꽁띠) is one of the world's foremost wine producers, based in the village of Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy, France.

It owns several Burgundy Grand Cru vineyards [article], including the legendary Romanée-Conti vineyard, and is regarded among gourmets and collectors as both a symbol of wealth and a pinnacle of aesthetic achievement due to its extremely limited production and uncompromising quality.

1. Historical background

• Monastic era: Its history began in the 13th century, when the Abbey of Saint-Vivant managed the area's vineyards and recognized their potential.

• Ownership by the Prince of Conti: The present name was established in 1760, when Louis François de Bourbon (루이 프랑수아 드 부르봉, Prince of Conti), a relative and political rival of King Louis XV of France, purchased the vineyard after fierce competition with Madame de Pompadour.

• Modern management: The modern foundation was laid in 1869, when Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet purchased the vineyard, which had been confiscated during the French Revolution. It is now jointly owned and managed in equal 50:50 shares by his descendants, the de Villaine family (드 빌렌 가문) and the Leroy/Roch family (르루아 가문).

2. Vineyard holdings

DRC owns some of Burgundy's best-situated Grand Cru vineyards, as listed below.

• Romanée-Conti (로마네 꽁띠): A 1.81-hectare monopole that symbolizes the domaine's identity and produces the world's most expensive wine.

• La Tâche (라 타슈): A 6.06-hectare monopole noted for intense flavors and structure comparable to Romanée-Conti.

• Richebourg (리슈부르): The domaine owns approximately 3.51 hectares, characterized by an opulent, muscular style.

• Romanée-Saint-Vivant (로마네-생-비방): The domaine owns approximately 5.29 hectares, distinguished by elegant and delicate flavors.

• Grands Échezeaux (그랑 에셰조): The domaine owns approximately 3.53 hectares.

• Échezeaux (에셰조): The domaine owns approximately 4.67 hectares.

• Corton (코르통): A red wine in the lineup that entered production in 2009.

• Montrachet (몽라셰): The domaine's only white wine, from a Grand Cru vineyard, and regarded as one of the finest white wines in the world.

3. Viticultural and winemaking philosophy

• Biodynamics: Organic farming methods were introduced in the 1980s, and since 2008 all vineyards have been managed according to biodynamic principles to maximize the purity of the terroir.

• Extremely low yields: Yields are strictly limited to roughly one glass of wine per vine, concentrating the flavors.

• Traditional methods: A high proportion of the wine is fermented as whole bunches without destemming, and only new oak barrels are used for extended aging.

4. Market value and scarcity

• Sales method: DRC is known for its “assortment case” system, in which 12 or 13 bottles are sold as a set, ranging from its least expensive to its finest wines. Rather than serving to promote unpopular vintages or lower-tier wines, this is a strategy for managing the scarcity of Romanée-Conti, whose supply falls far short of demand.

• Auction records: Although prices vary by vintage, a single bottle of Romanée-Conti from an excellent vintage can fetch tens or hundreds of millions of won, repeatedly setting new records at wine auctions worldwide.