1972 DRC Romanee Conti and Supporting Cast

[richard_beeken]

Last Saturday in wintry Edmonton HJank Gillespie hosted Roy Hersh (on his annual visit), Ivan Ivankovich (wine guru of not) and myself (humble lurker) at Hank’s club for lunch to celebrate my birthday. In typically generous fashion, Hank provided a 72 DRC Romanee Conti as a special treat. Despite some considerable tasting experience, none of the rest of us had ever tasted an RC. Hank posted about another of his bottles of this about 18 months ago and had decided it was now time to open his last one.

We began with my 2006 Remoissenet Le Montrachet - lovely light gold, fresh tropical fruit (mango and pineapple) nose and palate, a touch of sweet oak, focused, creamy, everything in balance, long flavourful finish, in it’s early prime - 96

The 1980 Grange opened as a counterpoint to the RC was unfortunately a tad corked. One could sense what might have been.

Roy brought a “mystery port” to finish - a 60+ year old tawny from an under-the-radar producer which only a few fortunate FTLOP tour participants were able to obtain. Stunningly good stuff - profound - the greatest tawny (or port, for that matter) I think any of us except Hersh (who regularly bathes in 31 Nacional . . .) had ever tasted. Extraordinarily intense, complex, ripe dark fruit, molasses, hazelnut, toffee pudding, medium sweet, brilliant acidity, perfect structure and balance with a powerhouse finish that just kept going. We were still after-tasting the final pour of this after the stemware had been packed and we were on our way home. 99 pts, easy.

And the Romanee Conti . . . mid-shoulder fill and considerable grunge under the cap did not bode especially well, but after the cork was pulled (the indispensable Durand doing it’s thing - thanks, Don C.) the wine was clean and alive and hopes began to rise. Decanted briefly for sediment and immediately poured. Brown tinge to a solid medium rosy ruby color. Initial quiet nose of dried fruit and roses, mild leather, unsurprisingly tired. Palate much the same - just a bit of something to offer in a restrained, very late maturity, old burg sense.

And then she woke up.
After 30 minutes: fresher, fuller, more forthcoming on nose and palate - ripe cherry and strawberry preserve, mild cinammon, rose, truffle, decent intensity, complex and intiguing with a solid finish - truly a lovely, elegant lady. We were treated to 45 minutes of charm and class before she faded. Fascinating evolution for a 42 year old Burgundy. With best efforts to minimize sentiment or consideration of age or pedigree, 90/91 pts. Thanks, Mr. Gillespie, for a special experience,

Hank commented initially that his previous bottle (higher fill, cleaner cork) was better than this one but my sense was that this RC held her own or came ot on tiop for those beautiful 45 minutes.

Fortunately this lunch has become something of a tradition. Great way to clebrate a birthday.

[Blair_Curtis]

Hi Richard,

Nice to see you post! Now that is the way to bust out of lurker-land!!!

Sounds like a tremendous time. Sorry I could not make it to EDM this time, but will try next time Roy makes the visit.

Hope you are doing great…sounds like you are .

Cheers,
Blair

[Craig_G]

For many years the 72 RC was the only DRC I had tasted. Bill St. John, the wine and food writer for a Denver paper, used to run a series of wine tastings and he brought this bottle. He acquired it in payment for appraising a cellar. Unfortunately the wine was cooked. I still have the empty bottle in my dining room.

[Stuart_BeauneHead_Niemtzow]

Carpe DRC-iem, if only for 45 minutes…

[alan_weinberg]

what amazing generosity. Chapeau to Hank and happy birthday.

[Fred_Bower]

Thanks for sharing this. This is a birth-year wine for my wife and me and I’ve been trying to decide how to get into it. We did have the Grands Echezeaux and Richebourg side-by-side this year and had a nearly-similar experience. I would say that they showed best from 5-minutes in through about 90-minutes in, then homogenized on that autumnal leafy dried cherry and mushroom profile that was more similar than different between the two wines. The Richebourg had slightly more tannin on the finish. I once fantasized about doing the entire DRC lineup from '72 with the La Romanee and La Grand Rue as side-kicks, but I think it would be an educational, but ultimately not entirely celebratory experience. I’m missing some critical pieces of that puzzle too - namely the Montrachet, Echezeaux, Romanee St. Vivant, La Tache, and La Grand Rue. I’ve had the Romanee St. Vivant a few times in the past and really loved it, but that was 14 years ago.

I appreciate the insights on longevity and drinking window for these old wines…I agree that the last vestiges of their glory are fleeting (unlike me, of course).

Cheers,
fred

[jcoley3]

Have been fortunate enough to have 72 DRC La Tache and Richebourg about six years ago (like Fred and his wife, a birth year). Both were beautiful and mature, albeit a touch austere. The 72 Richebourg was a gift from a friend, and remains a treasured empty on a bookshelf.

[dcornutt]

Very nice guys. Sounds like a really nice visit. Never had any of the 72 DRCs. Appreciate all the notes on the wines.

[Hank_Gillespie]

These sessions with Richard, Roy and Ivan Ivankovitch have become a kind of annual event in celebration of Richard’s birthday, and it is always good to gather with these friends to share a few bottles of wine over lunch.

Fine notes, Richard! I can’t add much to those. The wines performed admirably well…including a somewhat disappointing turn on the Grange.

I very much liked the '06 Remoissenet Montrachet. Felt that the high level of acidity might have masked some of the nuances that I normally associate with Montrachets, but it was vibrant, flavourful and typically possessed a very long lingering finish.

As Richard pointed out, the old Romanee-Conti opened up with some additional time in the glass. I was not fearful of pulling the cork too early, as my past experience with older DRC’s has shown that they can use some airing to evolve on the nose and palate. Once this took place the wine held wonderful attributes. Richard’s expert use of the Durand extracted the old cork beautifully.

I detected a bit of a fresh paint smell in the Grange, but it had an enormous level of rich blackberry fruit. Roy picked up that the wine was marginally corked.

Your description of the old 60-plus year old Tawny was on the mark, Richard. I have never tasted a better Tawny. It could become a habit, I guess, but only in Roy’s house, where he told us that he managed to bring back a handful of bottles from the producer’s cellar in Portugal.

Roy wanted to make this a schedule annual event, and there is merit in that.

The dining room at the golf club is closed for lunch on Saturdays, but I arranged a private room for the group and the club provided a waitress to look after our luncheon choices from the Spike Bar.

A nice send off for me, as we left for Tucson this week, leaving the snow and cold temperatures behind.

Hank

[Roy_Hersh]

This was my 9th November visit to Edmonton within the past 10 years. I head up to the snowy hinterlands of Alberta to celebrate Richard’s birthday weekend with his friends and family; after presenting a Port seminar for a local wine merchant each year. Richard has been organizing these quiet Saturday afternoon wine-lunch events with Hank and Ivan; and I am grateful to be included as part of this quartet.

Often times I prefer these small intimate tastings nowadays. Less noise, more focus, ample pours and great conversations amongst good friends.

The 2006 Remoissenet Le Montrachet was absolutely singing. It improved over the two+ hours we were at the table as it continued to unfurl, although initially a bit reticent for the first ten minutes. Evocative notes of brioche, minerals and hints of caramel, creamy across the palate and later on, remarkably sensuous. The palate morphed as mentioned and distinctive green apple, under-ripe pineapple and coconut nuances melded nicely and ended beautifully with great length and a youthful vibe. Loads left in the tank here. 95 pts.

I’ve been very fortunate over the years to partake in more than my share of DRC bottles, including mini verticals of all of the other 5 vineyards from some of the great Burg vintages; but this was my first sip of Romanée-Conti. A singular “benchmark” moment in my wine drinking life, that was truly appreciated. The 1972 was still alive and although my expectations were modest at best, after seeing the ullage and saturated cork, (expertly removed by Richard using The Durand) there was still a lot to love here. My impression was that beyond the mahogany hue and ruby glints at the center, obviously, this was fully mature and remains on a plateau today. Aromatically profound early on and it developed greater complexity as it bloomed offering baked red fruits, mostly dark Chelan cherry notes, and mélange of cedar plank / smoky, glove leather, potpourri and black truffle scents. Nuanced and earthy flavors would appeal to those that enjoy fully mature Burgs, this 1972 was still hanging on to its fruit, albeit on the other side of the slope. Flavors included meaty / blood, spice box and cinnamon along with tart black cherry. The seductive mink-like texture lent to the graceful character while the acidity held the old bones together. A sumptuous and elegant wine while it held its own for nearly an hour delivering great pleasure. As a quick aside, the original price tag of $41 was still on the bottle. 91 pts.

The 1980 Grange was corked and although the underlying fruit was apparent and generous, and I ventured a sip or two during the first few minutes after it was poured, and unfortunately it quickly surpassed the point at which I can continue to put a corked wine in my mouth.

Dessert: The 60 year old “cask sample” is a remarkable and unctuous old Port wine from a producer not known by those outside of Portugal except by the most serious Port fanatics and even then, most would not know this specialist. I’d rather not even go there, but suffice it to say, this is a fine old Tawny from one of the people I respect most to deliver ethereal wood-aged Ports. A discussion ensued whether this was a 99 or 100 point wine, but that matters not, as Ivan exclaimed, “this is the best Port, no, dessert wine I’ve ever tasted.” I don’t know if he was just being kind, but he continued to wax poetic. No matter how you slice it, this was just a perfect ending to a wonderful birthday celebration for Richard, made all the more special by Hank’s generosity in treating us to a wonderful wine experience that none of us will ever forget.

[Hank_Gillespie]

Great notes, Roy.

Hank

[Jeremy_Holmes]

Very generous of you Hank. Love the original price.

[Hank_Gillespie]

Jeremy, I don’t really recall what I paid for the wine - it was so long ago, but Ivan noted the price tag on the bottle and asked if it was valid. I do remember picking up quite a few DRC wines in the mid to late '70’s in Denver and the prices were extremely attractive. That price of $41.00 appears right, in that I remember buying GC Clos de Beze for about $11.00 then.

I acquired more DRC’s then than I could carry back to Edmonton, so stored them in our office in Denver, and had our staff members carry some of them back each time they traveled to and from Denver, which was quite frequent as we were involved in building several office buildings in the downtown area, and had established our first U.S. office. Carrying wine on board flights was allowed then.

Hank

[Roy_Hersh]

And some of us ONLY know you as the Godfather of Wine, in Edmonton.

[Ivan_Ivankovich]

I am late with my comments on the birthday bash attended by Hank Gillespie, Roy Hersh and myself in addition to the Birthday Boy, Richard Beekin. But, like Hank’s generous offering of the 1972 Romanee Conti – comments are better late than never. Besides, being the last to comment, I have the advantage of saying the least because such stellar commentators as Hank, Roy and Richard have really said all the right things.

The 2006 Remoissenet Montrachet was a wonderful, youthful wine typical of that great vineyard. Unfortunately, it was closed initially owing to its chilled state. But, as others noted, it opened up beautifully with pronounced vanilla and oak as it warmed in the glass. After a few hours it was downright hedonistic. Full body, lovely fragrance and acidity. Big-time depth and flavors with pineapple overtones. Lovely aftertaste that lingered on the palate. This one will develop nicely for some time. 95 points


The 1972 was a grand old dame, indeed. Initially showing her age and wrinkles, she then, with some time in the glass, charmed us all for an hour or so before retiring early. The bottle demonstrated significant ullage but the cork was artfully extracted by Richard with the assistance of his trusty Durand. The wine was a brickish-brown in color and somewhat weak at the rim. The initial aromas were reticent and reminded me somewhat of a faded rose. On the palate, if anything, the wine was even more reticent and a bit bitter. I was somewhat skeptical that anything more was going to happen but, truth be told, the grand old dame simply wanted to catch her breath for a while. On aeration, more and more of the fruit began to come out. The transformation was quite remarkable. When she decided to show her stuff the aromatics were quite pronounced. Ripened cherries and red fruit, leather, pipe tobacco along with cinnamon and other spices rose from the glass and delivered on the palate too, understandably with nuanced maturity. There was good classy fruit with complexity and texture in the glass and a slight hint of sweetness on the finish replacing the astringency detected prior to aeration. I would like to have met her earlier in her career because she is certainly an elegant lady at this late stage. Thanks to Hank Gillespie and his generosity for providing us with a real wine “benchmark”, to use Roy’s phrase. 90 points


The 1980 Grange Hermitage held great promise with its full fill and deep color. After Richard again demonstrated his Durand skills, it became apparent that Penfold’s failure to invest in great corks once again worked to its disadvantage. I have had several opulent bottles from the 1980 vintage. Sadly, due to some cork taint, this was not one of them. The frustration was magnified by the illustrious companions with whom it shared the table. What was apparent, however, despite its 34 years, was the remarkable concentration of deep black fruit.


Last, but certainly not least, we get to the undisputed “star” of a star-studded cast: the 60+ year old Tawny port that was truly over the top. The House of Fonseca once provided me with a taste of a hidden bottle of 1867 Vintage Port – memorable for its remarkable freshness and for its historical significance as the year of Canada’s birth. Roy Hersh provided me with the finest Port/ dessert wine I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Roy called it “ethereal” and it is other-worldly or heavenly for sure. I have never had a wine with a longer finish. It was still on my palate well after I returned home from the club. Richard, the Birthday Boy, was entirely accurate in his comment that the wine was “extraordinarily intense, complex, ripe dark fruit, molasses, hazelnut, toffee pudding, medium sweet, brilliant acidity, perfect structure and balance with a powerhouse finish.” I can’t really add anything more……it was as close to heaven as you can get on this earthly planet. Bravo to the mystery producer


And a big bravo to my three companions for sharing such vinous treasures. I love our tradition of celebrating a birthday…… but guys, after this, I am extremely doubtful that we can ever elevate the playing field!

[Hank_Gillespie]

With this initial posting on Wineberserkers, Ivan, it is apparent that you will have to continue to post here. Your flair for words certainly captured your impressions of these wines, such that I could easily recall our gathering and the wines that we enjoyed two weeks ago.

Hank

[Roy_Hersh]

Great job Ivan!

[Hank_Gillespie]

While I won’t come across any of Roy’s old Tawny “find” this week in Edmonton, I probably could use a glass to handle the weather. The current wind chill is -31F and I am traveling back there tomorrow for a couple of days. Brrrrrr!

In its place what could you recommend, Roy?

Hank

[Roy_Hersh]

I’m not sure what wood-age Ports are up in the province. Last I knew, deVine’s did carry some Colheitas. 30-40 year old Tawny Ports may be available too. Otherwise, bring one with your from AZ; or ask Richard to share one of his great bottles. He has plenty.

[Bob_Cuozzi]

in August 1990 I was teaching ROTC at Providence College in RI. I was suddenly ordered to report to Fort Bragg, NC to deploy with the XVIII Airborne Corps to Saudi in support of Desert Storm. I had a week to get my affairs in order and report in. The last three nights before Letta Jean and I drove down to NC we opened my best three bottles of wine. The first was a 68 Conterno Barolo, the second was a 1970 Chateau Latour, and the final was a 1972 DRC Romanee Conti that had just been given to me by a local wine merchant and father of one of my ROTC students. I had not had a lot of experience with Burgundy with my father and I being more interested in CAlifornia Cabs, red and white RHones, Bordeaux, and Italian wines. But that bottle of DRC still stands out for us both as a such a memorable wine. Yes, there was the underlying drama of being about to deploy etc but we still treasure what still remains one of the finest wines we have ever tasted. Thanks for the reminder. Cheers, Bob