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Grands crus are often subdivided in minute plots among many owners. But La Tâche is entirely owned by Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, a fact that makes it a "monopole." The domaine (also called simply DRC) has exclusive rights on a second vineyard -- the grand cru Romanee-Conti itself. It's almost joined at the hip with La Tache; they are within a stone's throw of one another. As befits grands crus from the Côte d'Or, Burgundy's "golden slope," both vineyards are well-drained and exposed to the east-southeast; both tilt down gently on the hillside toward the stone walls surrounding Vosne-Romanee. This village lies in the center of the Cote de Nuits. |
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La Tache actually starts out, in its youth,
much firmer and more structured than any other wine in Vosne-Romanee.
But in the top vintages, age softens the angles, and the richness
becomes the conductor that orchestrates the complete flavors. In lesser
years, there's little to take the place of the armor, and the wine turns
lean and hard, dissatisfying like a heap of metal.
Through the good or bad years, DRC is
Burgundy's golden brand. In fact, DRC is arguably Burgundy's only
world-name -- the region's first growth, if you like. That the domaine
hasn't broken up is a miracle given its complicated ownership situation
and stormy history. La Tache and Romanee-Conti are just the most famous
of the domaine's six vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs. The four others
are Richebourg, Romanee-St.-Vivant, Grands Echezeaux and Echezeaux.
The roots of Burgundy are the roots of French history. The Grand Duchy of Burgundy covered much of eastern France, and was dotted with castles and monasteries, centers of power, knowledge and wealth. It was early monks who planted the first vineyards, studied variations of soils and terroir, mapped the Cote d'Or and invented the idea of cru. After the French Revolution, the monasteries were disbanded, and while some aristocrats managed to hold on to their vineyard properties intact, the vineyards of the common people were divided and subdivided over generations of marriage, intermarriage, and inheritance law. Modern Burgundian growers might own several small plots of vines in many different villages; the lots from each vinified and bottled into separate wines. Whereas a Bordeaux producer might sell one or two wines under his estate name, a Burgundy producer might make ten or more different wines. To give it another spin, the 125 acre Grand Cru vineyard Clos de Vougeot had one owner at the time of the Revolution Burgundy has five distinct regions: from north to south they are: Chablis, Cote d'Or (divided into the Cote de Nuits in the south and Cotes de Beaune in the north), Cote Chalonaise, Maconnais and Beaujolais. The Cote d'Or has 28 different wine-producing villages or communes, surrounded by a total of 20,000 acres of vineyards. Burgundy is known for many expressions of two great varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In addition, there is fruity, lively Gamay from Beaujolais and lemony-tart Aligote, planted in lesser vineyard sites. The term Domaine is commonly used in Burgundy to refer to a vine-growing and winemaking estate
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