Among Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s illustrious portfolio, Corton Grand Cru is a unique and fascinating addition—the only red wine from the Côte de Beaune produced by the domaine. Acquired in 2008 from the Prince Florent de Mérode family, DRC’s holdings in Corton Bressandes, Corton Clos du Roi, and Corton Renardes form a blended expression of the best parcels from this historic hill. While Corton has long been known for its powerful, muscular wines, the DRC rendition brings an unmistakable silkiness, depth, and finesse to this storied Grand Cru.
The vineyards span just 2.28 hectares, making it one of the smallest productions in the DRC lineup. The terroir, composed of limestone-rich soils with a heavier clay influence, produces structured, deep, and long-lived Pinot Noirs, marked by both richness and freshness. While some Corton wines can be rustic, DRC elevates the appellation, crafting a wine that marries intensity with supreme refinement.
On the nose, the wine is complex and layered, offering aromas of black cherries, ripe raspberries, wild strawberries, and rose petals, wrapped in notes of warm spices, cedar, and earthy minerality. Unlike Vosne-Romanée-based wines, Corton is darker-fruited, more structured, and built with a firmer tannic spine, yet DRC’s touch ensures that it remains harmonious and elegant.
On the palate, Corton by DRC is both expansive and focused, with a core of deep black fruit, baking spices, and crushed stone minerality. The tannins are present but exceptionally fine-grained, giving the wine a sense of tension and grandeur. Flavors of dried herbs, licorice, and subtle earthiness unfold with time, leading to a long, vibrant, and mineral-driven finish.
While more approachable in its youth than some of DRC’s other Grand Crus, Corton has immense aging potential, often evolving for 25 to 30 years, gaining complexity and refinement with time. It may not be as mythologized as Romanée-Conti or La Tâche, but Corton by DRC is a serious, captivating wine, offering a distinct expression of the domaine’s precision and mastery in a different terroir.
