The 2009 Corton is a showstopper. The huge, boisterous bouquet is the first sign the Corton is just as dazzling from bottle as it was from barrel. Layers of fruit saturate the palate as this flashy, exuberant wine continues to put on weight as it sits in the glass. This is a decidedly opulent Burgundy that pushes the boundaries of what longtime DRC drinkers expect from the winery, but it is a gorgeous, striking wine in its own way. The 2009 is a great first vintage for the Corton. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti’s 2009s have turned out just as brilliantly as I had hoped. The wines reflect the signature qualities of the year, but never lose their essential classicism. Long-time DRC fans know the domaine bottles in six-barrel lots, which naturally introduces a level of bottle variation that is not found in most other wines. I hope the massive amount of information that has recently come to light regarding counterfeit wines and their proliferation might be the catalyst for the domaine to consider bottling their wines in one homogenous lot, as is common for the vast majority of high-quality wines throughout the world. Once the domaine’s wines mature in 20-30 years it will be impossible to tell the difference between ‘normal’ bottle variation, poorly stored bottles and very good fakes. Certainly consumers who are willing and able to pay the prices these wines fetch are at the very least deserving of a consistent product.

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