La Romanée is the smallest grand cru vineyard in Burgundy (0.8542ha), making it also the rarest (3000 – 4000 bottles per year only). It is also regarded as one of Burgundy’s greatest vineyards – wine from this vineyard has been famous in Europe for over 600 years! It’s long fame has been closely connected to the most famous Burgundy vineyard of all – La Romanée-Conti. At various times in history these two vineyards have been combined, so too the wine. But, for the past 200 years the two vineyard – and the two wines – have been separate.

The vineyard is owned by the Liger-Belair family, and has been managed since 2002 by the 7th generation, Louis-Michel Liger-Belair who has worked hard to elevate this wine’s status and reputation to its rightful place.

La Romanée, which lies in the heart of Vosne-Romanée, is a distinctive, reserved, classically-styled grand cru that requires long ageing to show its full potential. We have carefully assembled these bottles to demonstrate the quality, and style of this jewel, with a focus on classic mature vintages that allow the wine to show its full expression.

Leroy bought the wines made from 1950 to 1962, and this evening we shall taste the 1962 (the greatest vintage between 1945 and 1999). We shall also taste a Camille Giroud-bottled 1969 – a top vintage in the Cote de Nuits. Between 1976 and 2001 the wines were bought exclusively by Bouchard Père et Fils, and we shall taste 6 vintages from this period (’85, ’90, ’93, ’95, ’96, ’99). Since 2002 the wines have been made by Louis-Michel Liger-Belair. Half was bottled by him under the Domaine du Vicomte Liger-Belair label, and half with the Bouchard label, until 2005. We shall taste the Bouchard-bottled 2002, as well as both the Bouchard and Liger-Belair examples from 2003 and 2004. Thirteen examples of La Romanee in total to gain a clear picture of one of the most highly-esteemed wines on Earth!