DRC Serial Numbers - any exceptions for authentic bottles?

[Robin_K]

Has anyone seen any authentic DRC that was missing serial numbers? (due to who knows what sort of issue at the domaine when the wine was labeled?). The wine in question is 1959 Richebourg.

Any insight or experience would be very much welcomed.

Thanks.

Robin

[John_Morris]

I e-mailed Don Cornwell to alert him to your query. He’s probably the best person to answer this.

[andy_velebil]

May I suggest you upload a quality picture of the bottle here so people can look at it. That would really be quite helpful

[scott_c]

@John Morris

I e-mailed Don Cornwell to alert him to your query. He’s probably the best person to answer this.

[Eric_Lundblad]

Uh oh, watch out…this thread might get bumpy

[Don_Cornwell]

@Robin_K

Has anyone seen any authentic DRC that was missing serial numbers? (due to who knows what sort of issue at the domaine when the wine was labeled?). The wine in question is 1959 Richebourg.

Any insight or experience would be very much welcomed.

Thanks.

Robin

Robin:

I went through this very issue with the Domaine about a year ago. The answer is that it’s impossible. DRC tracks everything that leaves the Domaine by bottle number. Without the bottle numbers there’s no tracking and without tracking they won’t ship.

The incident in question involved two cases of alleged 1990 DRCs without bottle numbers that went a Swedish agency that conducts wine auctions there. The Domaine informed the agency, that had written to me originally, that the wines were not authentic.

[Robin_K]

Thanks Don. I really appreciate your experience and input! I have been told that the only exception might be in the bottles have ‘Réserve Personelle’ on them (presumably meaning that these came from the domaine’s personal cellar). But they don’t.

All the best,

Robin

[Robin_K]

@John Morris

I e-mailed Don Cornwell to alert him to your query. He’s probably the best person to answer this.

Thanks. I really appreciate it.

[Don_Cornwell]

@Robin_K

Thanks Don. I really appreciate your experience and input! I have been told that the only exception might be in the bottles have ‘Réserve Personelle’ on them (presumably meaning that these came from the domaine’s personal cellar). But they don’t.

All the best,

Robin

Robin:

It is true that the Reserve Personnelle bottles don’t have numbers, but they’re never sold – at least they’re not supposed to be. Those are the bottles for the owners and their families. I remember when I found a bottle being offered in France with Reserve Personnelle stamped in where the number should be about 15 months ago. Aubert de Villaine was very upset about it because he said that someone close to his family, who had received the wine as a gift, must have sold it.

[Robin_K]

@Don Cornwell

@Robin_K

Thanks Don. I really appreciate your experience and input! I have been told that the only exception might be in the bottles have ‘Réserve Personelle’ on them (presumably meaning that these came from the domaine’s personal cellar). But they don’t.

All the best,

Robin

Robin:

It is true that the Reserve Personnelle bottles don’t have numbers, but they’re never sold – at least they’re not supposed to be. Those are the bottles for the owners and their families. I remember when I found a bottle being offered in France with Reserve Personnelle stamped in where the number should be about 15 months ago. Aubert de Villaine was very upset about it because he said that someone close to his family, who had received the wine as a gift, must have sold it.

I can imagine. This is why he should give a bottle to me! I’d relish it with gusto. Maybe Aubert should put numbers next to the Réserve Personnelle. I bet that would put an end to that!

But more seriously, thanks again for your incredibly helpful input.

[Jonathan_Favre]

@Don Cornwell

@Robin_K

Thanks Don. I really appreciate your experience and input! I have been told that the only exception might be in the bottles have ‘Réserve Personelle’ on them (presumably meaning that these came from the domaine’s personal cellar). But they don’t.

All the best,

Robin

Robin:

It is true that the Reserve Personnelle bottles don’t have numbers, but they’re never sold – at least they’re not supposed to be. Those are the bottles for the owners and their families. I remember when I found a bottle being offered in France with Reserve Personnelle stamped in where the number should be about 15 months ago. Aubert de Villaine was very upset about it because he said that someone close to his family, who had received the wine as a gift, must have sold it.

It’s my understanding after asking Aubert that wines that were partly “shared” with Domaine Leroy could also be labeled as DRC. I have seen bottles (#'d 0000)and asked Aubert about this - specifically early 70’s bottles of the Montrachet.

[brigcampbell]

I picked this up in a wine shop in Switzerland in the back shelf, well, I stole it. Factice translates to “dummy”. They had a stack of them.

[DaveP]

@brigcampbell

I picked this up in a wine shop in Switzerland in the back shelf, well, I stole it. Factice translates to “dummy”. They had a stack of them.

How long before this shows up at auction???

DRC La Tache 1992 - 2 bottles
Special Factice Collection