The 1980 La Tache Grand Cru is an extraordinary wine at the peak of its powers. Unfurling in the glass with exotic aromas of wilted rose petals, raspberries and cherries mingled with exotic spices, coniferous forest floor, blood orange, smoked tea and game bird, it's full-bodied, velvety and sensual, with a deep, multidimensional core, rich and powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. From a bottle that had never left Burgundy, this is a profound wine that I'd single out as the stylistic successor of the stunning 1962. Interestingly, Aubert de Villaine observes that in 1980, all the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's wines were bottled direct from the barrel, without any racking.

A La Tache of great clarity, the 1980 possesses a delicate, complex bouquet of cherry, currant, smoke and mineral, and later a touch of mint. Very elegant and vibrant, this shows fine length, intensity and delicacy.--La Tache non-blind vertical. Drink now through 2020.??–BS??Region: France / Burgundy / La Tache Select to Add