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La Tâche, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2005

Tasting Notes

There is only one word to do the nose true justice and that is kaleidoscopic as the aromatic breadth here is simply dazzling with red and black cherry, cassis, plum and subtle earth notes replete with the same Asian spice cabinet aromas as the RSV displays but here the floral aspect, particularly rose petal, is much more pronounced. However, the '05 LT is almost a combination of the RSV's class, grace and sensuality and the Riche's power, taut muscularity and huge length as the overall palate impact is equivalent to a vinous bomb exploding on the cuts-like-a-knife finish that can be measured in minutes not seconds. This is structured to the point of being chewy yet it is never rustic or coarse because the gorgeously detailed palate is buffered by buckets of dry extract. As readers know, I often use the word Zen to describe the kind of inner harmony of a great vintage of Romanée-Conti but rarely with La Tâche yet in 2005, the LT has this element of inner calm and grace as well. In sum, this is a huge but utterly classy and stylish wine that will undoubtedly go down as one of the all time great LT's.

99
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com, January 2008

The 2005 La Tache epitomizes the unique mysteries of Pinot (not to mention the character of a great site), with its aromas of game, musk, iris, star anise, vanilla, allspice, and naturally also an abundance of sweet, ripe, implosively tiny-berried fruit. Imagine a black Riesling. On the palate, a vivid freshness of fruit, pungency of spice and flowers, and melting away of what in point of analytical fact are abundant tannins, all engender an almost white wine dynamic of fruit-mineral call-and-response and clear, incisive penetration of flavors to every recess of the mouth. This is a T.R. sort of wine - you just don't feel the stick.

98/99
David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

Vibrant raspberry crimson - deeper colour than the Échezeaux. Quite meaty on the nose and very intense right from the start. Savoury rather than simple fruity. Real reverberation on the nose alone. Lots going on in there! Opened out to something more velvety. Massive weight and richness, almost muscular. Again dryness rather than sweetness dominates the wine at this stage. Despite the mass, this wine manages delicacy too with real richness on the finish. Very long. So firm and majestic. Wonderful peacock's tail in the mouth. But still pretty stern and obviously a very long term proposition. Very intense and impressive, dense and vibrant. Great energy here, though still very, very tight - perhaps more polished than the 1990 tasted afterwards.Drink 2016-2035.

19.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2008
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.