Romanée Conti, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2011

Discreet wood sets off a wonderfully elegant, airy and ultra-pure dark pinot fruit nose that is perhaps even more reticent and shut down than the La Tâche and only seriously aggressive swirling can reveal stubborn notes of rose petal, spice and menthol influence. The ultra-silky but firm medium-scaled flavors are also blessed with an impressive abundance of dry extract that buffers the prominent but ripe supporting tannins on the moderately austere, deep and palate coating finish. The length here is genuinely amazing, indeed even at this early juncture this is already the longest wine in the range. As it virtually always is at this point in its development, this is an exercise in understatement, poise and controlled power with an unrivaled purity of expression. In sum, this is Zen-like. As to whether it will ultimately be better than the La Tâche in 2011 remains to be seen but for now the two seem to be neck and neck from a purely qualitative perspective.