Montrachet, Domaine de la Romanée Conti 2014

This exquisite wine is a model of balance and freshness – perhaps the finest example of Montrachet I have had from the Domaine. The light lemon-yellow colour is still in the first blush of youth, and the aromas remain very primary, with notes of citrus, fresh hawthorn flowers, and marzipan dominating the initial attack. There is abundant freshness, yet no lack of power here, and the finish is tantalizingly long. The wine is just starting to show its potential and should continue to open up for decades. Picked 22 September; 3,160 bottles produced. (Drink between 2025-2075)

A whiff of the exotic can be found on the notably ripe and beautifully layered nose that reflects notes of honey, citrus, spice, oak and a touch of matchstick character. There is superb size, weight and minerality to the impressively scaled big-bodied flavors that are so dense that there is a distinctly lavish and lush mouth feel to them, all wrapped in an explosive and almost painfully intense finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate. While I do note the presence of a hint of exoticism on the nose, I would observe that the 2014 Montrachet is less exotic than it usually is. I also suspect that despite being quite tightly wound today, it will be more accessible young than many vintages of this storied wine. Lastly, I had the occasion to try this twice and both bottles showed similarly. Drink 2026+