By Julie Carpentier
As far as history recalls, the La Tâche vineyard has always been a monopoly. Today a 6 hectares vineyard, it used to belong to a community of monks from Nuits before the French Revolution, later to be reunited in the hands of the Liger-Belair family, before being sold – in 1933 – to the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Gathered up with Les Gaudichots, the expansion of La Tâche in 1933 created a new wine that, ever since, has been celebrated as one of the finest of Burgundy.
On our recent visit to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Bernard Noblet had prepared a fine program, which turned out to be a stunning focus on the legendary La Tâche…
After having made our way down the stairs and corridors to the vaulted underground cellars, we started with the 2015 barrel tasting which revealed all the attributes of a superlative vintage. As it is usual with DRC, we were then offered blind bottle tasting. Among them, several fine vintages of La Tâche, including 1998… This La Tâche experience, furthermore in situ, with three very different vintages, offered us an extraordinary perception of this remarkable wine that consistently combines elegance and rigour.
Let me recall here the souvenir of this sumptuous 1998 La Tâche, tasted blind: light ruby color with faint signs of browning edges. A multi-dimensional, pungent nose of ample fruit and elegant savage notes. A massive powerful palate with abundant spices, crisp cherry and soft secondary aromas that evolve towards a delicious, intense and mineral finish. A lesson of style and energy!
If one day (that is to say, if you haven’t already had the chance to do so), La Tâche 1998 crosses your path, throw yourself into its eternal delight.
La Tâche 1996 | La Tâche 1997 | La Tâche 1998 | La Tâche 1999
“My DRC Valentine” Wine o’clock
February 14th, 2017 at 2pm
