Wine: 1945 La Tâche

Wyatt Peabody — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:08:43 +0000

I had the rare opportunity to taste the ’45 La Tache again, recently—it has been quite impressive to watch it evolve over the past decade since first tasting it in 1999. Some seven decades after its bottling, it is surprisingly youthful and stalwart, while balanced and, of course, elegant. The fruit was somewhat dominated by the tannins, but this is among the most exceptional wines that I have tasted. If you’ve got it, drink it.

1945 La Tâche Domaine de la Romanée-Conti , Côte de Nuits, Gran Cru
Incredibly complex nose of earth, spice and faint smoke; as it evolves, dense black fruit, stewed cherries, plums, tobacco, soy, and mushrooms, with undertones of nuts, dates, toffee, wet leaves and sweet, concentrated fruit. The palate is immense, offering nuances of earth, spice, tobacco, leather, game and undertones of ripe, elegant fruit. The texture is beautifully rich and balanced, displaying stout tannins, with a long, lingering aftertaste. A true testament to the grace of provenance—a nearly flawless wine.

Bon Savant » Côte de Nuits

Wine: 1945 La Tâche