1999 DRC Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche Grand Cru

“The 1999 La Tâche Grand Cru can be a perfect wine. This was very similar to the bottle opened in 2015. The bouquet sends you straight to heaven with so much purity and detail that frankly it is difficult to put into words. Fleeting glimpses of redcurrant, then pomegranate, broom and wilted rose petals, later more earthy scents, autumnal. The palate is perfectly balanced with filigree tannin, a symmetry that is utterly entrancing and precision second to none. Hints of black plum and blood orange, that mineralité returning towards a finish so tensile you risk cutting yourself. (NM)” (04/2018)

“Words remain inadequate to describe just how good this wine is as the '99 is a classic La Tâche in every respect with its incredibly pure, marvelously intense Asian spice box nose. There is terrific size, weight and richness to the enveloping flavors of hoisin and pure pinot extract that deliver indescribable complexity on the hugely long finish. The big tannins are completely wrapped in velvet and while they are by no means invisible, they are beautifully well-integrated, indeed the word seamless comes to mind. This is almost certainly destined to become one of the all-time great vintages of La Tâche. Moreover, among the many bottles that I have been blessed to have tried, I have never had one that was anything less than sensational.” (04/2017)

“The 1999 La Tâche is a monumental young vintage of this wine, which offers up everything one could ask for in a young Burgundy. The nose is still very primary and is already shutting down, but offers up a celestial blend of red and black plums, black raspberries, blood orange, a bit of youthful pepper, duck, strong soil tones, chocolate, nutmeg and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is very full-bodied, seamless and laser-like in its focus, with a rock solid core of fruit, ripe, round tannins, sound acids, and tremendous length and grip on the palate-staining finish. This is a monument in the making.” (06/2003)

“Very deep color. Huge aromas of jammy, candied black cherry, blackberry, boysenberry and spice, extremely charming. An opulent, full-bodied, full-throttle La Tâche, concentrated and packed with ripe tannins and bright acidity, with a long, lingering finish. (BS)” (06/2006)

“Good color. Very lovely nose. Now just about ready. Splendid fruit here. Medium-full body. Marvelously intense, harmonious and classy. Very long. Very complex. Very fine plus.” (02/2018)

“Good dark red; not crystal-clear. Very ripe, musky, multidimensional nose combines blackberry, raspberry, violet, earth, game, black pepper and herbs, plus a positive vegetal nuance. Plush, silky and very ripe but not particularly sweet, with concentrated dark fruit, spice and pepper flavors complicated by a hint of prune. ("More fruit ripeness than the '15," noted Aubert de Villaine just moments after we had tasted the '15 La Tâche) Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and a note of licorice. (ST)” (03/2018)

“Very deep blackish ruby - much deeper than most red burgundies. Actually overnight dregs in an open bottle did not hold up in terms of freshness as well as those of the Mugnier Amoureuses 2001 tasted alongside. Very massive wine that's still brooding and probably needs a few more years to show its best but it's certainly impressive! Great throat warming stuff with real structure and vibrato fruit in the middle. Not to be ignored! (JR) 19/20 Points” (07/2012)