Have you ever drank the most expensive wine in the world? Not from an ancient amphora found uncorked by archaeologists and sold at auction, no, quite modern? Then get to know: “Romane-Conti” - the most expensive wine in the world, which is produced now. What makes him so? Grade? Special manufacturing technology? Appelason? As experts assure, it is to the latter that wine owes its high price. But everything else, thanks to which the berries are turned into a drink, at Romane-Conti, too, did not disappoint. Where do the vines of the famous brand grow? And how much is a bottle of such wine? Is it possible to purchase it in Russia? And can it be affordable for the average citizen? Read all the most interesting facts about the famous and most expensive wine of our time in our article.
What is appellason and what does it mean in Burgundy
There are areas favorable for growing vines. And there are those that God himself created for this purpose. To say that the Romane-Conti wine is made from the Pinot Noir variety is to say absolutely nothing. The information that wort fermentation takes place in neutral containers, and maceration lasts ten days, will also give us nothing to understand why the resulting drink is so expensive. But if we say that the wine crop was taken in the vicinity of the village of Von Romane , in the heart of the Côte de Nuits region, everything will become clear to connoisseurs. And here we should clarify the question of how important the terroir is in Burgundy .
In the province of Bordeaux, wines are produced in a chateau. The word "castle" in this context will not be the correct translation. Some chateaux were built in the mid-twentieth century and are large houses of the most ordinary construction. But for Bordeaux, the process of making wine is of particular importance. And each manufacturer has a secret. In Burgundy, which is a patchwork of vineyards interspersed with settlements, everything is different. “Best Lands" is what makes the drink famous. Winemakers are buying crops from different owners of vines. Therefore, not only the manufacturer, but also Domaine is indicated on the bottle labels.
What is the domain of the wine "Romane-Conti"
So, it becomes clear that in Burgundy the so-called "best lands" are most valued. Where are they located? This is the Côte de Nuits region. And it has a small plot, located near the village of Von Romane . Just one with a small hectare of vineyard and gives the crop for the most expensive drink in the world. And all because the manufacturer Romane-Conti owns it. After all, the experience of winemaking is also important. And therefore, the drink is most valued, the label of which says: "Romanes-Conti Domain de la Romanes-Conti." Such a tautology indicates that the wine was made from a crop harvested on the producer’s own lands. He also produces other drinks, and not necessarily from Pinot Noir . But the winemaker buys raw materials for them from other landowners.
Domain History
The first vineyards appeared on this gentle slope at the beginning of the twelfth century. And this is only documented data. Perhaps the vines on these lands were grown by the ancient Romans. But in the XII century. the vineyard belonged to the aristocratic family of Verge . A hundred years later, namely in 1232, a very pious representative of this kind donated the land to the Saint Vivant Abbey . Four more centuries passed, and the Church needed money to go to Palestine. The vineyard, which was already famous for its exceptional qualities (drinks from it were served to the royal court), was sold to Monsignor de Kronemburg . He gave his acquisition the name "Roman". After all , after all, the vineyard for a long time belonged to the Roman Church. Or maybe the nobleman of Kronembourg wanted to perpetuate the memory of ancient immigrants from Italy, who planted the first vines in Burgundy . A century later, with a small glorious vineyard was put up for sale. For his possession, "crossed swords" Prince de Conti and the favorite of King Madame Pompadour. The arbiter was Louis himself. The name of the wine "Romane-Conti" is easy to guess in whose favor the dispute was resolved. But the prince paid a price ten times the starting price for the plot.
Who owns the domain
The vineyard, which now became known as Romanes-Conti, did not stay in the possession of the royal family for long. The Great French Revolution broke out, and the nationalized site was again auctioned. It was bought by Gabriel-Julien Uvrar (the banker who loaned money to Napoleon). And in 1869, the vineyard was sold to a certain Jacques Duval-Blochet . This gentleman had two daughters, between whom he shared the inheritance. One of them in 1911 after marriage adopted the name Villen. And this family is still a member of the concern producing wine "Domain de la Romane-Conti". Due to the exceptional quality of the resulting drinks, this farm has been given the highest control status by origin. The original wine can be recognized by the abbreviation on the label - DRC. It means that the drink is produced by the Domaine Romane-Conti Joint-Stock Company. In fairness, it is worth noting that the farm has in its possession not only a 1.8 hectare plot from which to harvest for Romanee-Conti. He owns six more vineyards, which can be safely called the pearls of the appellation of the Côte de Nuits. These are La Tash , Romanesque Saint Vivan , Richard , Montrachet , Eshezo and Gran Eshezo .
Why is this wine so highly regarded
A thoughtful reader may ask what is in these 1.8 hectares of land. How is the harvest from this grand cru different from berries ripened on a nearby hill? The joint-stock company Domain Romane-Conti adheres to the traditional method of winemaking. The vines, which are 55 years old, are processed either manually or with the help of horses. No tractors, as well as chemical fertilizers. The manufacturer uses only compost for soil cultivation. All work takes into account the lunar cycles. Harvested "on the verge", wanting to get a berry, as much as possible poured juice. This leads to the risk of losing crops in the early rains and cold. But the wine "Romane-Conti" and get so special. The yield of a 1.8 ha plot is extremely low. One bottle of wine leaves the berries of three vines. This leads to such a high cost of the drink.
Price
Now it's time to clarify how much you have to pay for owning a bottle of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti wine. The price of 0.75 liters of this drink ( according to experts, the best produced in the world today) can reach 10 - 15 thousand euros. And this is for ordinary year vintage wine. For vintage issues, buyers (often wanting to remain anonymous) are fighting fairly at global auctions. The most expensive lot was a six-liter bottle of the “successful” crop in 1976, sold for 42,350 US dollars.
What is sold in Russian wineries
A potential buyer may be wary of information about the tiny area of the appellation and the extremely low yield of old vines on it . How much does Romane-Conti wine get in a year, the price of which in Russian alcohol stores reaches 1 million 351 thousand rubles? Only 3100 bottles for the whole world! Moreover, in the homeland of the drink, in the basement of the domain itself, you can buy the “best” wine in recent years (2008) at a price of 2.5 thousand dollars for 0.75 liters. What is sold in Russian stores under the Romane-Conti brand? These are other wines made in a large joint-stock company domain. As we recall, the farm has seven plots. And from the harvest excellent Burgundy wines are made - white and red.
Characteristics of wine Romanee-Conti
Romane-Conti is the most expensive in the world, not only because its bottles are like a rare stamp for a philatelist. Their contents will delight and exalt to the seventh heaven any gourmet and connoisseur of fine wines. The drink is made entirely from Pinot Noir , and this determines its dark ruby color. The texture of the wine is velvety. The taste is perfectly harmonious. It feels candied black fruits and piquant shades of warm spices. A complex bouquet is added to the layered taste. Terroir as if fills the wine with the nuances of minerals. And the smell of ripe cherries, shades of spices and red fruits are mixed with this aroma of the earth. The wine has an extremely long, delightful aftertaste that plays on the palate and tongue, fading with numerous berry tones. The drink is too expensive to drink at a regular meal. This is a wine created for meditation. It admits to itself in the company unless the same refined cheeses, truffles, game appetizers.
Other domain wines
We mentioned that Romane-Conti, under the acronym AOC, also produces other drinks. Pinot Noir Romanee-Conti Grand Cru is the most expensive red wine. But this domain also contains the most valuable white variety. This wine is made from Chardonnay . Vines, which are seventy years old, grow on the site of Montrachet , which belongs to the farm. The yield of this vineyard is extremely miserable - 205 boxes per year. Therefore, if you find a bottle of this exquisite white drink, then you will have to pay a rather large sum of 3 to 5 thousand euros for it (depending on the year of harvest).