Domaine de la Romanee-Conti : Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand cru "Marey-Monge" 2021

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru "Marey-Monge" 2021 by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Tasting

Color

The wine displays a medium to light ruby robe, bright and clear, reflecting the delicate extraction that characterizes this grand cru.

Nose

The nose opens on a glorious bouquet pairing fresh and ripe red fruits—cherry, raspberry, cranberry—with floral notes of peony, subtle whole-cluster spice, white pepper, citrus zest and cedar. Hints of wild fennel, Provençal herbs and a touch of leather bring further complexity, while a very light trace of oak spice rounds out this refined aromatic palette.

Palate

On the palate, this wine reveals a lively, well-defined acidity paired with tannins that are extremely fine yet firmly knit around the fruit, giving an impression of tension and depth despite the smaller scale typical of this vintage. The texture is silky and sensual, carried through to a long, persistent finish with an almost effervescent lift on the aftertaste.

Food and wine pairings

This Romanée-Saint-Vivant pairs beautifully with refined poultry dishes, delicate feathered game and truffle-based preparations, where its aromatic complexity and patrician structure find a particularly fitting echo.

Serving and cellaring

The Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru "Marey-Monge" 2021 shows strong aging potential, with critics suggesting an optimal drinking window extending to around 2051.

Other characteristics

This vintage comes from a very low yield of 14.5 hectoliters per hectare, resulting in a limited production of 755 cases of 12 bottles. It received outstanding critical acclaim, with scores reaching as high as 97 points from Decanter and 95 points from Vinous.

Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru: Tension and Floral Finesse from Vosne-Romanée

The Estate

Founded in 1869, when Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet consolidated several grands crus around Romanée-Conti, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is based in Vosne-Romanée, in the heart of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits. The estate is jointly owned by the Gaudin de Villaine family and the Leroy/Roch/Fenal family, with current management entrusted to Perrine Fenal and Bertrand de Villaine. Holding sole ownership of Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, along with major shares of Richebourg, Échezeaux, Grands-Échezeaux and Romanée-Saint-Vivant, the domaine farms organically and biodynamically, standing among Burgundy's most storied producers.

The Vineyard

The Romanée-Saint-Vivant grand cru covers about 9.44 hectares on a gently sloping, east-facing hillside in Vosne-Romanée. The Marey-Monge sector, historically tied to the Marey-Monge family since 1791 and acquired outright by the domaine in 1988, corresponds to roughly half of the climat. Its soils run deep, around 90 centimeters, with a marl-and-clay composition favoring deep root penetration. The vines here average 45 years of age, although 20 rows planted on the 161-49 rootstock were recently uprooted due to decline, marking an ongoing renewal of this historic plot.

The Vintage

The 2021 growing season proved particularly challenging in Burgundy, beginning with severe April frost following an unusually early budburst. Weather conditions remained unstable through much of the cycle, with only the flowering period offering the vines a true respite. These difficult conditions reduced yields and required close attention from the vineyard team throughout the season leading up to harvest.

Winemaking and aging

Grapes for the Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru "Marey-Monge" 2021 were harvested from September 27 to 29, at a very low yield of 14.5 hectoliters per hectare. The use of whole clusters is evident in the wine's aromatic and tannic structure, lending delicate stem-derived notes that are finely integrated into the overall profile. Aging took place in barrel, with only a light touch of oak spice reflecting measured use of new wood, before the wine was bottled on January 12, 2023, after roughly fifteen months of élevage.

Grape Varieties

This wine is produced from 100 % pinot noir, drawn from the fine plant material inherited from the historic Romanée-Conti vines.