Flesh and Stone: DRC Edition
A quiet encounter with wine's most intimidating names.
By Boris · Hosted by Boris Buliga
Some events are simply unmissable. It's not just about the obligation to be there; it's the feeling that skipping out would mean cutting something essential from your own story. This time, it was a tasting with Maksym Demchenko, and the lineup was astonishing. Honestly, I find it hard to even write it down without wincing - how do you say this out loud? Romanée-St-Vivant, Grands-Échézeaux, Échézeaux, Corton, La Tâche - all from DRC. Plus, a Bâtard-Montrachet 1988 from Ramonet, and an Egly-Ouriet 2012 to kick things off. When I first saw the list, I could hardly believe it; it felt like a joke or a ghostly message from a better version of reality.
This was not merely a tasting of expensive wines - it was an experience steeped in myth. Such wines are usually discussed in dusty forum posts or reminisced about by a fortunate few who were present. Yet here it was, right in my glass - not just to taste, but to truly try to understand.
It wasn't about the labels; it was about the stories each wine had to tell. Each one spoke in its own voice - quietly, stubbornly, sometimes echoing memories of the past. These wines had endured decades, styles, and philosophies, yet were held together by one undeniable truth: there's something in wine that doesn't age. And even if all of this may seem excessive or beyond our reach, being in its presence still matters. It reminds us of the high standards the world can hold. Sip.
Egly-Ouriet Extra Brut Grand Cru 2012
Very yeasty on the start - then it shifts, slowly and deliberately, into something almost perfumed: white flowers, yellow fruit, a touch of bruised orchard fruit. Then honey, propolis, smoke, green hazelnut, orange oil, praline, and white bread. It's dense, almost full-bodied, yet perfectly balanced - poised on that fine line between power and elegance. Razor-sharp acidity, strong mineral backbone, and a long, complex evolution. There's a mossy, sherry-like depth on the finish, joined by white cherries. Muscular but graceful. This is spectacular wine, precise and layered - and with serious ageing potential. Near-perfect.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échézeaux 2020
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Oof, and this time it's all about pickles. And no fish in sight. A touch of raspberry, dill, black berries, rose petals, orange zest, grapefruit, forest floor and moss. It's intense and powerful, yet so finely balanced it feels almost ethereal. Wild in spirit but incredibly precise - like an angry woman in silk gloves. A proper natural wine in the best possible sense. Bitter herbs, a mix of red and black fruit with a distinctly Nordic vibe, and that same pickled edge. Salty, extremely layered, and unapologetically unfriendly - but stunning. Yo. The texture is out of this world. A penetrating, haunting wine.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Échézeaux Grand Cru 2014
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Fuck me, what a stunning nose. Honey, biscuit, sunflower brittle, hazelnuts, wax, malt. Wow. The palate follows through with toasted nuts, salted caramel, wax, iodine - all laid thick over a bed of roasted sunflower seeds. Broad and weighty, yet kept alive by piercing acidity. It's got so much potential - years, decades maybe - but already in magnificent balance thanks to age. This is top-tier stuff. Not about separate components, but about how seamlessly it all folds into a single, cohesive story. On the nose, it's some ancient sweet wine from the Loire; on the palate, it's old Champagne without the fizz. What a ride.