La Romanée is a tiny Premier Cru climat within the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation of the Cote de Nuits. This long, thin vineyard is planted entirely to Pinot Noir, making a rich, soft example of red Burgundy with some aging capability.
The one-hectare (2.5 acre) vineyard lies at the western end of the Combe de Lavaux, a valley that traverses the Cote d'Or escarpment just to the west of Gevrey-Chambertin village. La Romanée is one of the most elevated sites in this part of Burgundy, with its top edge reaching 355m (1,170ft) above sea level.
Below La Romanée on the slope is the much larger Clos des Varoilles vineyard, while above it on the hill is forest.
Vineyards within the Combe de Lavaux have a different mesoclimate than the rest of Gevrey-Chambertin. Unlike on the edge of the southeast-facing Cote d'Or, these vineyards face almost due south, making for lengthened exposure to the sunshine during the day.
However, this is tempered considerably by a cool westerly wind, which is funneled through the valley, slowing ripening and leading to a significant diurnal temperature shift. Furthermore, this vineyard's proximity to the forest on the top of the hill does give it a little extra shade compared to its lower-lying neighbour.
This means that wines from La Romanée are leaner than those from the more sheltered Grand Cru vineyards, Chambertin among them.
Despite these climatic challenges, La Romanée is still classified as a Premier Cru site, thanks in part to the high quality of its soils. Rich in limestone and clay, the rocky soils store sufficient water to hydrate vines, although good drainage means that the vines have to work hard for this hydration.
As a result, leafy canopy growth is lessened, and instead small yields of high-quality fruit are produced, making concentrated wines.
La Romanée, like the Clos des Varoilles vineyard below it, is owned entirely by Domaine des Varoilles, making it a monopole. The climat's name is shared with many other vineyards in Burgundy, with which it should not be confused: the most notable of these is the famous La Romanee Grand Cru in Vosne-Romanee, 10km (six miles) to the south.
This, the highest of the domaine’s vineyards, just above the Clos des Varoilles, comprises one hectare of vines, with an average age of over 60 years. The soil is very shallow here – just 50cm – over a gravel and limestone bedrock, naturally low-yielding. This has 20% new oak in 2017. A lovely deep ruby colour, with sweet, dark berries on the nose. The palate is sweetly fruited, with a broad, supple entry, fleshy and giving on the mid-palate, coming to a nice grippy point on the finish
Origin：Cote De Nuits, Burgundy, France
Type：Red Wine
Grapes：Pinot Noir
Alcohol：13.5%
Bottle Size：750ml
