Domaine de la Romanée Conti La Tâche Grand Cru

2014

Burghound 96: Fireworks in a glass would be the operative description of the super-fresh nose of the 2014 La Tâche and while it's not necessarily spicier or more floral than the Riche, there is a broader range of elements present and in particular better overall aromatic depth along with more red fruits than dark. The imposingly powerful and tautly muscular flavors possess outstanding mid-palate density while simultaneously offering excellent delineation on the intensely mineral-infused, youthfully austere and very firmly structured finish that just goes on and on. While I suspect that this will drink reasonably well after only 15 to 18 years of bottle age note well that if you want to drink it when fully mature it will require in the range of 20 to 25 years of cellaring.

Wine Advocate 96: The 2014 La Tâche Grand Cru was picked on 17, 18 and 20 September at 32 hectoliters per hectare, bottled between 1 and 25 April 2016. It has a quite startling bouquet: dark berry fruit, bay leaf, hints of jasmine tea and autumn leaves. It delivers multi-faceted aromatics, a mercurial bouquet, brown spices emerging with continued aeration in the glass. It is a tad more forward than I expected. The palate is medium-bodied with great structure and fine grip. This is a slightly more masculine La Tâche and replicating its performance in barrel, the fruit spectrum shimmies from red to black (incidentally, exactly as I observed when I tasted it in barrel). There is a lovely lift on the finish that leaves you with a piquant kiss on the cheek. This is wonderful. 1,929 cases produced.

Vinous 96+: Bright medium red. Ineffably complex, pure scents of fresh raspberry, cherry, rose petal, peppery spices, crushed herbs and mint. Almost surprisingly silky on entry, then sweet but very restrained, even a bit ungiving, in the middle palate, with pungent red berry and mineral flavors conveying an impression of electric energy. This wine builds slowly and inexorably with air, opening out into a peacock's talk of a finish that's lifted by a pungent hint of green pepper. This youthfully austere wine will need a good 15 years to display its inherent flesh and richness but even today it stands out for its finesse.

Decanter 97: Bursting with wild strawberry, blackberry and cinnamon on a round and velvety palate leading to a umami finish. Immense concentration yet great finesse – perfect harmony. A fabulous wine of charm and huge class.

2015

Burghound 98: As is often the case in its youth, this easily possesses the most aromatic breadth of any wine in the range with an utterly kaleidoscopic nose that incorporates notes of Asian spice box elements, rose petal, lavender, lilac, orange pekoe tea and sandalwood. There is superb richness to the powerfully constituted flavors that possess outstanding delineation and intensity while displaying perhaps even more minerality than usual, all wrapped in a mildly warm finish that slowly fans out as it sits on the palate. This is one classy wine that manages to do what only the greatest of burgundies can, which is to wow you with its power without weight mouth palate impression. And if all of this weren't enough, the refinement and poise here are nothing short of riveting. While I am very careful when it comes to proclaiming that such and such a vintage of La Tâche will go down as one of the all-time greats, the 2015 version appears to have the potential to be one of them. Time will of course be the final arbiter but the underlying material is so good it's difficult to be less than super-enthusiastic.

Wine Advocate 98: The 2015 La Tâche Grand Cru is a young classic, soaring from the glass with an exotic and stunningly complex bouquet of dark berries, plums, hoisin, smoked duck, dark chocolate, licorice and Chinese five spice, with just a touch of rose hip on the upper register. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, multidimensional and authoritative, with more mid-palate depth than the Richebourg, its attack more textural and layered. The tannins here are fine grained but firm—swathed in an ample core of plummy, almost savory fruit—and the finish is long and scintillating. Cropped at 25 hectoliters per hectare and harvested September 7 and 8.

Vinous 97: The 2015 La Tâche Grand Cru was picked at 25.55hl/ha on 7 and 8 September. This has a fascinating bouquet. The stem addition seems a little more transparent than the other crus from the domaine. The La Tâche has darker fruit than the Richebourg mixed with black tea, bay leaf, a pinch of cracked black pepper and a slight bell pepper scent. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin on the entry, presaging a masculine and almost curmudgeonly La Tâche whereas in previous years it is comparatively amenable and open. It is long and deep, yet introspective until that jab of spice engages the senses on the finish. Interestingly, returning after 15 minutes the last third of this La Tâche manifests more depth and tension, a little more detail with hints of orange rind and more brown spices. It is a mercurial La Tâche as always, but would you want it any different?

Decanter 99: An exquisite floral, perfumed nose with billowing red fruits and sandalwood bursts from the glass. In the mouth, fabulous sweet red berry fruits of loganberry, strawberry and raspberry are joined by mocha, dark cherry, spices and cream. The very sweet, fine and firm tannins together with supple acidity provide an elegant shape, form and texture. Once again, La Tache’s old vine fruit - an average of 50 years - provides imperious style, complexity, power, pleasure and length. Simply sublime. Harvested 7th & 8th September. Bottled 15th to 17th, and 21st March 2017. 1,387 cases produced.