Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

The domaine's own timeline traces the vineyard to 1131, when Hugues II, Duke of Burgundy, ceded land at Flagey and Vosne, including the future Romanée-Conti, to the priory of Saint-Vivant. In 1631 Jacques Venot passed his properties to his son-in-law Philippe de Croonembourg, and the name Romanée is first recorded in writing in 1651. Louis-François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti (1717-1776), acquired La Romanée in 1760, paying ten times the price of Clos de Bèze, according to the domaine. The vineyard was confiscated in 1789, the name Romanée-Conty appears in 1794, and on 24 December 1794 it was sold at auction to Nicolas Defer de la Nouerre. Julien-Jules Ouvrard bought it on 22 September 1819.

• 1131: Hugues II, Duke of Burgundy, cedes land including the future Romanée-Conti vineyard to the priory of Saint-Vivant
• 1651: first written mention of the name Romanée
• 1760: Louis-François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, acquires La Romanée
• 1794: sold at auction to Nicolas Defer de la Nouerre; 1819: bought by Julien-Jules Ouvrard

Jacques-Marie Duvault-Blochet bought Romanée-Conti on 25 November 1869, at the age of 79, when he already owned vines in Gaudichots, Richebourg, Grands-Échézeaux and Échézeaux. The domaine sums up the period since as two families, one domaine. The Société Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was constituted on 31 July 1942, when Henri Leroy (1894-1980), a grower and négociant in Auxey-Duresses, bought the shares of Jacques Chambon; Leroy passed them to his daughters Pauline Roch and Lalou Bize. The Gaudin de Villaine family owns the other half of the Société Civile. The domaine acquired La Tâche Joly de Bévy in 1933 and Montrachet vines in 1963, took Romanée-Saint-Vivant Marey-Monge in fermage from Mlle Marey-Monge in 1966, and bought it in September 1988. Burgundy-Report records that the 1966 lease covered some 5.28 hectares, and that the domaine financed the 1988 purchase partly by selling its Echézeaux vines and a smaller amount of Grands Echézeaux while keeping the use of the land on a renewable 30-year lease.

• 25 November 1869: Duvault-Blochet buys Romanée-Conti
• 31 July 1942: Société Civile constituted; Henri Leroy buys Jacques Chambon's shares
• 1933: La Tâche Joly de Bévy acquired; 1963: Montrachet vines acquired
• 1966: Romanée-Saint-Vivant leased from Mlle Marey-Monge; September 1988: purchased

The domaine presents nine Grands Crus with these surfaces: Romanée-Conti 1.8140 ha, La Tâche 6.0620 ha, Richebourg 3.5110 ha, Romanée-Saint-Vivant 5.2858 ha, Grands-Échézeaux 3.5263 ha, Échézeaux 4.6737 ha, Montrachet 0.6759 ha, Corton 2.2746 ha and Corton-Charlemagne 2.9132 ha. Since 11 November 2008 it has farmed the Corton Grand Cru vines of Domaine Prince Florent de Mérode in Clos du Roi, Bressandes and Renardes, with a first harvest in 2009. In November 2018 it received Corton-Charlemagne vines in métayage, with a first harvest in 2019; Wine Spectator reported that the parcel is owned by Domaine Bonneau du Martray and that it became the domaine's second white after Montrachet. For the 2019 vintage the domaine records 4,906 bottles harvested of Romanée-Conti, 11,929 of La Tâche, 16,214 of Romanée-Saint-Vivant, 2,204 of Montrachet and 9,110 of Corton-Charlemagne.

• Romanée-Conti 1.8140 ha; 4,906 bottles harvested in 2019
• La Tâche 6.0620 ha; 11,929 bottles harvested in 2019
• Corton (Clos du Roi, Bressandes, Renardes) farmed from 11 November 2008; first harvest 2009
• Corton-Charlemagne 2.9132 ha in métayage from November 2018; 9,110 bottles in its first harvest, 2019

According to Burgundy-Report, the last old vines of Romanée-Conti were uprooted after the 1945 harvest, the vineyard was replanted in 1947, and the young grafted vines gave their first cuvée in 1952. The domaine names the selection and propagation of the very fine Pinot Noir inherited from the old Romanée-Conti as one of its priorities. Burgundy-Report reported in 2009 that the Corton vines were being farmed biodynamically under the domaine's vineyard manager Nicolas Jacob. In its 2022 harvest report, dated 4 October 2022, the domaine names Nicolas Jacob and Didier Dubois as its chefs de culture and credits Alexandre Bernier with leading the vat-room team. That report compares 2022 above all to 1959; Romanée-Conti was picked on 1 September, after the Corton reds on 30 August, and the whites fermented in barrels and foudres.

• Romanée-Conti replanted in 1947; first cuvée from the new vines in 1952, per Burgundy-Report
• Selection and propagation of the old Romanée-Conti's very fine Pinot Noir is a stated priority
• Chefs de culture Nicolas Jacob and Didier Dubois; vat-room team led by Alexandre Bernier (2022 harvest report)

Under a supervisory board with one representative from each family, the domaine is run by two co-managers (associés-gérants). Aubert de Villaine and Lalou Bize-Leroy held the roles from 1974 to 1991, followed by Aubert de Villaine and Charles Roch (1957-1992), who was replaced in 1992 by Henry-Frédéric Roch (1962-2018). Perrine Fenal, daughter of Lalou Bize-Leroy, was appointed by the general assembly of 23 January 2019. In 2021 Bertrand de Villaine was designated to succeed his uncle Aubert de Villaine, confirmed by the general assembly of 3 December 2021; he has worked at the domaine since 2008, first in the vines and then in the cellar. The domaine lists Henri de Villaine and Isabelle Roch on the supervisory board today. Aubert de Villaine presided the association behind the inscription of the Climats of Burgundy on the UNESCO World Heritage list on 4 July 2015.

• 1974 to 1991: Aubert de Villaine and Lalou Bize-Leroy co-managers
• 23 January 2019: Perrine Fenal appointed co-manager
• 3 December 2021: Bertrand de Villaine's appointment to succeed Aubert de Villaine ratified
• 4 July 2015: Climats of Burgundy inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage; association presided by Aubert de Villaine

The domaine's own site characterizes each cru. It describes Échézeaux as the earliest to open and least complex of its wines, La Tâche as elegance and vigour, Richebourg as combining the silky character of Romanée-Conti with the firmness of La Tâche, Romanée-Saint-Vivant as a seductress, and Montrachet as a wine of unequalled complexity. The domaine notes that the Grands Crus of Burgundy represent barely 1% of its surface and under 1% of its production. It warns that counterfeit networks targeting Romanée-Conti in recent vintages have been uncovered, and asks buyers to purchase only through official channels: its distributors and the merchants they select.

• Échézeaux: the earliest to open and least complex, per the domaine
• La Tâche: elegance and vigour; Richebourg: the silk of Romanée-Conti with the firmness of La Tâche
• Counterfeit warning: buy only through the domaine's distributors and their selected merchants

Primary sources (the producer's own site): https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/1500-histoire, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/1/corton, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/2/echezeaux, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/3/montrachet, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/4/grands-echezeaux, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/5/la-tache, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/6/richebourg, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/7/romanee-conti, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/8/romanee-st-vivant, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grand-crus/9/corton-charlemagne, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/9-grands-crus/bouteilles-recoltees, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/avertissement, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/familles, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/mentions, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/millesimes, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/notes-de-degustation, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/philosophie-du-domaine, https://www.romanee-conti.fr/fr/un-prince-de-sang. Secondary sources: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/drc-leases-corton-charlemagne-vineyard, https://www.burgundy-report.com/burgundy-report-extra/10-2005/the-work-of-domaine-de-la-romanee-conti/, https://www.burgundy-report.com/burgundy-report-extra/10-2009/corton-rejoins-the-romanee-conti-family/. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs. Last verified 2026-09-23