The Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s policy of late harvests for their Montrachet leads to forward, expressive wines with boisterously flavorful personalities. The spice box-scented 2000 Montrachet is a huge, medium-bodied, luscious wine. Buttered, super-ripe apples, poached pears, honeyed minerals, and countless spices can be discerned in its extravagant personality. Rich, deep, and dense, it is the sexiest, most seductive Montrachet I’ve encountered. Projected maturity: now-2010. According to Aubert de Villaine, the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s co-director, “2000 was a particularly difficult vintage with lots of rot throughout all the vineyards. Rot is simply a sorting problem, and for that we are very well equipped. The sugar levels were very nice, but the grapes did not have the phenolic ripeness of 1999 or 2001. Ultimately, 2000 is the absolute opposite of 1999 at the Domaine since the wines are feminine and delicate. They are wines for connoisseurs, like a cross between 1992 and 1995. In fact, I’d say they are like 1992 but with more volume and fruit.” None of the Domaine’s 2000s are recommended as they were found to be lean, rustic, hard, and backward. In addition, two of the wines had vegetal characteristics and another two may have been tainted with rot. Those readers who are always looking for news concerning the next vintage will be interested to hear the following. Unlike almost all his colleagues who said that 2002 was going to be a spectacular vintage, de Villaine informed me that it would “another irregular year.” Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

One of the wines from a warm vintage that produced wines for early drinking. This is rather seamless in texture and endless in the mouth. Ruby color with a garnet edge. Aromas of hibiscus tea, dried strawberry, candied strawberry, and orange peel. It’s full-bodied and tight and fine tannined. Drink and enjoy but it will be in this condition for a long time.

Made to last, this DRC is still holding back. Right now, it’s the biggest but not the best of the 2000s, showing dark earth and rich black cherries, along with notes of each, kirsch and a hint of alcoholic warmth. Turns increasingly floral and rose-like with air.——W.E.(10/1/2003)—— 95