1979 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche
by aki wong
November 2011, Paris
I was wandering in the maze of cobbled streets in Saint Germain. Thanks to the famed Café de Flore, and Woody Allen’s fascinating movie Midnight in Paris, everything surrounding seemed to have taken on an artistic flare. A burgundian red door frame caught my eyes suddenly. As I looked through the window I saw walls of wooden wine cases, whichever famous Burgundian domaines you can think about. A strong mystical force pulled me in.
“Bonjour.” I was wondering if I could order a glass of wine.
There was no answer. Noticed a dark metallic spiral staircase, I went down quietly and reached the basement - medieval decor with stoned walls and wooden stacks full of bottles from Burgundy. To the far end there was an arched stone fireplace, an old man was sitting there, drinking, with two bottles opened.
“What are you here for?” The man looked at me suspiciously.
“Oh… bonjour, I am wondering if you have wine by the glass here that I can drink now.” I asked.
“Here, try this, tell me what you think.” He poured the last sip of one of the opened bottles.
I was overwhelmed by the perfumed notes from the glass, the earthy undertone and dried spices gave it an extra dimension. Rich and mellow with fine tannins.
“It must have been a massive pinot noir when young. It is great, but not best. For me it lacks a little something in the mid-palate towards the finish. Having said that, it’s a beautifully made wine.” I finished off the last drop as I completed my statement.
“I agreed with your comments. It’s a 1979 Richebourg from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Wasn’t its best, hail was hitting the vineyard very hard.” He showed me the bottle.
Phew! Luckily he didn’t ask me to guess the vintage, I would have guessed 1980s.
“Thank you for sharing with me such beautiful wine. It’s the drinking of history!” I tried to be polite and suppress my excitement.
“Are you ready for another exciting journey?” As he asked, he poured the second bottle into a burgundy glass, and touched the rim of the glass very gently with his fist, three times.
“Was it a ritual or something?” I pondered.
“This bottle will change your life.” He put the bottle in front of me, then left and disappeared.
I looked at the label closely.
1979 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche.
The slight ruby hue and garnet were blending in well, a bright and well-conditioned appearance up front. As perfumed as the Richebourg, but aromas were sweeter with more finesse.
As I took my first sip, there was a blackout and within a blink of an eye I found myself in a grand, classic, well-lit restaurant.
There was a small group dining in the room. One man, approximately in his late 30s, witty and well-dressed, looked familiar to me. I must have seen him on in magazines! But I couldn’t be sure at that moment.
“You seem to love wines a lot!” He spotted my glass of wine on hand, and continued, “My name is Aubert de Villaine, come join us, we are celebrating the Bouzeron’s own appellation of Aligoté, and my good friend Jacques Lameloise, his restaurant just earned Michelin 3 stars!”
Jacques went on introducing himself, “It’s our first time to get 3 stars! It’s a great moment!”
I was exhilarated. Owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti!Wait a minute…! Jacques Lameloise? Am I in Maison Lameloise of Chagny? Bouzeron Aligoté? It’s promoted in 1979…
“What year are we in now?” I puzzled.
“It is of course 1979. Come try my wine.” A man in his sweatshirts poured me a glass from a bottle labelled 1972 Jean Gros Richebourg.
Oh my god! Jean Gros, father of Michel Gros! His bottle of Richebourg was super rich, concentrated, with massive tannins. Given its vibrant nature, I was convinced that I have somehow time-travelled back to 1979.
I offered the group to sniff and taste the 1979 La Tâche in my glass.
“You are drinking something from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.” Monsieur de Villaine was amazed.
“Spot on. Can you guess the vintage?” I asked. I could not tell him it’s from 1979, the wine that is being made now in his cellar. But I was curious.
“Given the color and maturity of wine, it seemed to me a good vintage, but something is off. I would guess 1953, a bit of dilution from the rain.” He knew the domaine and vintages inside out.
“In fact, I didn’t know the vintage” I made it up. “But I tasted it alongside the same vintage of Richebourg, and was astounded by how different they were!”
“Lucky you! Nature gave us that. So what brought you here?” Aubert asked.
“I wanted to learn more about wine, and inspire people on their wine experience.” I answered assertively.
“Then be the best, be a Master of Wine. You will discover not just wine, but many aspects in life.” His words were full of wisdom. And so I am determined.
It’s spring time in 1981. I spent a little more than a year in the region while contemplating and figuring out how to get back to 2011, but wouldn’t get a clue. One day Aubert invited me to taste 1979 La Tâche that was ready for bottling. It was incredibly fresh and elegant, and will take its time to develop, we reckoned over the next 20 years.
Soon as I drank it up I found myself back in the basement.
Was it a dream, imagination, or out of body experience? I had no clue.
But wine is about imagination. There are more dimensions to it, far beyond one’s physical sensations and emotions. Such energies and sharing fuel my motivations in becoming a Master of Wine.
Inside the basement, I found a calligraphically written note next to the 1979 La Tâche. It read,
“Enjoy the journey. Till we meet again, Louis François Conti.”