This bottle of 1961 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru came directly from the domaine's cellars. While the 1961 vintage is not as revered as the 1962s from the domaine, the handful that I have tasted have all been outstanding. This was no different. It has a haunting bouquet with breathtaking delineation and purity. It is like inhaling an intoxicating perfume and you had to just pause and reflect upon its almost ineffable complexity. The bouquet...enveloped you. The palate displayed exquisite balance. No, not a powerful Romanée-Conti but the epitome of elegance and refinement without shortchanging you on presence and intensity. There is even a slight rusticity detected on the finish, a little coarseness to the texture, no doubt emblematic of the time, although you perceive that as simply part of its character. It is a truly wondrous wine. Tasted November 2016.