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The long quest . . . . . . Last update October 2002 |
As I write this, I'm still many weeks away from the watershed age of 40 . . . . . well, actually a single digit number of weeks - okay, okay, 5½ weeks (!)
When the big day arrives, I'm fully prepared with a 1989 Musigny from JF Mugnier, a 1990 Richebourg from DRC and a 1990 Sir Winston Churchill from Pol Roger. All of them, perhaps, a little on the young side - but my wife and I shall just have to suffer !!!
Last year when I looked even further forward to 2012, I decidied it simply had to be celebrated with a bottle of 1999 Romanée-Conti. Alas the gods did not smile on me this year and I failed to get a bottle in the allocation process. Judging by the 'aftermarket' a significant quantity of wine still reached the hands of speculators - you can have (almost) as much as you like if you have the €4-5,000 per bottle asking price. Not-bad when you consider the allocation price was under €1,000, seems more interesting than Vodafone shares !
So, with my plan in ruins what alternative could I muster? The idea when it came was blindingly obvious. One of the contributors on Tom Cannavan's wine forum was lining up a different bottle for each month of the year, Yes, I would do the same. Of course I should have a theme I thought, so in the end I chose Romanée Saint-Vivant. This is my favourite Grand Cru, and the lighter style of this vineyard vs, say, Richebourg should see the 1999's just coming to their peak in 2012.
So 12 bottles are required, and of course each from a different producer. So who makes Romanée Saint-Vivant? There are (I think) 10 owners of vines in the Grand Cru, but adding the grapes/wine sold to various negociants, I have found 15 possibles so far :
| l'Arlot |
Leroy |
Joseph Drouhin |
| Robert Arnoux |
Nicolas Potel |
Louis Jadot |
| Sylvain Cathiard |
DRC |
Thomas-Moillard |
| Jean-Jacques Confuron |
Champy Père et Fils |
Louis Latour |
| Hudelot-Noëllat |
Follin-Arbellet |
Christian Remoissenet |
The problem with RSV is that 2 years after the vintage, the price is already plus 50% - if you can find an example. I've managed 6 so far, the coloured ones in frame above but am running out of time !!! Typically RSV was the only DRC wine I didn't manage to get an allocation of - other than Romanée Conti itself. DRC is by far the largest proprietor in RSV but is still second only to Leroy on cost - so no economies of scale there then !
Switzerland has provided the l'Arlot via Martel and the Thomas-Moillard from Elie Gazzar. The UK has produced the Cathiard, courtesy of Berry Bros and the Potel from Clitheroe's own David Byrne. Marita at Weinstock in Germany has come up trumps with the Hudelot-Noëllat and finally (so far) Jimmy at JD Winemerchant in Beaune got hold of the Jadot and the Robert Arnoux.
As this page develops, I'll provide you with a short monograph on each producers 'version'.
Keep visiting and see how the quest continues . . . . . . .
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© nanson.ch 2000-2002
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