2005 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, La Tache Grand Cru 1x75cl

Antonio Galloni 100

The 2005 La Tache Grand Cru is just starting to be approachable, although I would not begrudge anyone who might prefer to cellar it for a few more years. I am struck by the wine’s huge core of dark fruit and magnificent sense of proportion. Time in the glass brings out the classic range of La Tache aromatics – black tea, mint, sage, crushed flowers and exotic spice – and yet the 2005 remains a Burgundy of substance and textural depth more than anything else. It’s a statuesque Burgundy in which everything comes together. Tasted at a private dinner. [Antonio Galloni, 12/03/2024]

Anticipated maturity: 2024-2060

JancisRobinson.com 19.0

This was already drinking absolutely beautifully, even though presumably it will gain layers and even greater complexity. But what a stunning amount of pleasure it is giving even at this early stage! My verbatim notes: Gorgeous, complete, wonderful pure cherry juice flavours even though it will presumably close down. Already dense and layered but with beautiful freshness. ‘Parp. Parp,’ it seems to be saying, so eager is it to broadcast its charms. [17/09/2009]

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030

Vinous 96+

Deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of cherry, currant, tobacco and smoky, nutty oak, with traces of vanilla and sweet butter; showing less of the early treble notes of flowers and spices than usual for La Tache but they are lurking in the background. Then wonderfully supple, silky and sweet, conveying an impression of brooding extract; quite large-scaled for young La Tache but not yet differentiated. This showed an increasingly tactile quality with aeration but remained rather monolithic. Finishes with wonderfully broad, ripe tannins. This, too, appears to be shutting down but all the elements are in place to make a monumental bottle. [Stephen Tanzer, 03/01/2008]

Wine Advocate 98-99

The 2005 La Tache epitomizes the unique mysteries of Pinot (not to mention the character of a great site), with its aromas of game, musk, iris, star anise, vanilla, allspice, and naturally also an abundance of sweet, ripe, implosively tiny-berried fruit. Imagine a black Riesling. On the palate, a vivid freshness of fruit, pungency of spice and flowers, and melting away of what in point of analytical fact are abundant tannins, all engender an almost white wine dynamic of fruit-mineral call-and-response and clear, incisive penetration of flavors to every recess of the mouth. This is a T.R. sort of wine – you just don’t feel the stick. [David Schildknecht, 01/04/2007]