Strikingly extravagant nose of rose petals, oriental spices, pungent tea and leather notes plus ultra elegant pinot fruit. The powerful, chiseled, pure flavors are remarkably detailed, precise and fine with mind bending complexity yet for all the emotional drama of this wine, it remains understated and almost aloof at the moment. The finish is dense, structured and quite firm though there is nary a hard edge to be found and while this too cannot rival the other worldly 1999, 2001 will one day be thought of as a genuinely excellent vintage for La Tâche. In short, aristocratic in every sense.

Our last Burgundy of the night was served blind. It was an explosive, ripe wine packed with an impressively dense core of fruit framed by new oak. It turned out to be the 2001 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche, a wine that is perhaps 15 years away from being ready to drink. Needless to say it was an incredible privilege to catch this wine at this relatively early stage.

Noticeably darker in colour to the other DRC 2001’s. The nose closed down after 5 minutes then reopened to reveal notes tar, cigar-box and espresso coffee. Very Burgundian. Good concentration on the palate with wonderful delineation. Superb acidity, the oak is quite pronounced with well-integrated tannins. Sour cherry and strawberry on the mid-palate with a persistent finish. Does not have the concentration of a truly great La Tache but still a wonderful wine nonetheless. 10+ years. (1,649 cases produced) Tasted February 2004.

Good full red. Superripe aromas of red fruits, minerals and earth. Highly concentrated but also quite backward today and hard to view. Very long and gripping on the back end but comes across as a bit tough today, despite conveying an impression of great flavor precision. "This was always good to taste in barrel," notes de Villaine, although I recall that it was a bit folded in on itself last November.

Earth-laced blackberries can be discerned in the nose of the 2001 La Tache. Suave, plush, and regal, it boasts loads of candied black fruits in its deep character. This supple wine reveals superb clarity of fruit and an impressively long, fruit-filled finish. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2012. Concerning the 2001s, de Villaine, the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s co-director, stated that “it was not an easy year, it was a real roller coaster for vignerons. The estate’s vineyards, like everyone in Burgundy, had rot infestations so we did two harvests, one for the best, healthiest bunches and then another. Of course, we meticulously sorted all the fruit as we always do.” Those readers who are always looking for news concerning the next vintage will be interested to hear the following. Unlike almost all his colleagues who said that 2002 was going to be a spectacular vintage, de Villaine informed me that it would “another irregular year.” Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661