Domaine de la Romanée-Conti : Montrachet Grand cru 2022

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for the Montrachet Grand Cru 2022 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Tasting

Color

In its youth, this chardonnay likely displays a pale golden hue, characteristic of a grand cru still in its early stage and built for long-term cellaring.

Nose

The nose opens on ripe quince, apricot, and juicy pear, layered with subtle toasted and spiced notes brought by aging in new oak.

Palate

The palate shows remarkable concentration and density, with a powerful, almost massive structure in its youth. Early picking, on September 2, allowed the fruit to reach full ripeness while retaining enough freshness to support the wine's long aging potential.

Serving and cellaring

It is recommended to decant the Montrachet Grand Cru 2022 for about two hours before serving, at a temperature of 54–55°F (12–13°C), to allow its concentrated structure to open fully. This vintage is expected to reach its ideal drinking window between 2028 and 2055.

Other characteristics

This dry white wine shows an alcohol content of 14% and residual sugar below 3 g/l. Produced in very limited quantities, around 3,000 to 3,500 bottles per vintage, it ranks among the rarest and most sought-after white wines in the world.

A Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, marked by density and chardonnay depth

The Estate

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was established in 1869 in Vosne-Romanée, in the heart of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits, when Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet brought together several grand cru climats into a single property. The estate has since been jointly owned by two families, the Gaudin de Villaine and the Leroy/Roch/Fenal, today represented by Aubert de Villaine and Perrine Fenal. Entirely classified as grand cru, the vineyard is farmed organically and biodynamically, with very low yields and old vines, earning the estate its reputation as one of the world's most sought-after wine producers.

The Vineyard

The Montrachet grand cru parcel of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti covers 0.6759 hectares, located entirely on the Chassagne-Montrachet side of the slope and divided into three plots. The vines, averaging more than 60 years of age, grow on limestone and clay-limestone soils with a southeast exposure that provides early morning sunlight. The parcel is farmed organically and biodynamically, with very low yields, light plowing, and horse-drawn tillage used here to preserve soil structure and limit compaction.

The Vintage

The 2022 vintage in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune produced fully ripe white wines, with softer acidity than usual and alcohol levels slightly lower than in 2020. Overall quality was rated good to very good, on par with the Côte de Nuits. Grapes for Montrachet were picked early, on September 2, allowing the fruit to reach ripeness while retaining enough freshness to preserve balance.

Winemaking and aging

The Montrachet Grand Cru 2022 was aged in new oak barrels and bottled without filtration, an approach consistent with the estate's philosophy of minimal intervention aimed at preserving the wine's substance and character. This extended aging in new wood supports the wine's dense fruit and allows its structure to evolve harmoniously over time.

Grape Variety

This wine is made from 100% chardonnay.