What is “DRC”?
[Domaine de la Romanee-Conti] This acronym is the name of the domaine (producer) in Vosne-Romanée village that produces the famous "Romanée-Conti".
Romanée-Conti is now regarded as one of the highest quality wines in the world, but its history dates back to the Roman era and has a history of over 2,000 years.
During the Middle Ages, most of Romanée-Conti and Romanée-Saint-Vivant were owned by the Abbey of Saint-Vivant. Also, parts of Richebourg and La Tache were owned by the Cistercian Abbey. There is also an anecdote that in the early 18th century, Louis XIV's doctor prescribed several spoonfuls of Romanée-Conti every day to treat his chronic illness.
Afterwards, these fields were put up for auction, and a battle ensued over ownership between Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress, and the Duke of Conti, who served as a military advisor. In 1760, the Duke of Conti was officially recognized as the owner. Madame de Pompadour was so angry at losing the battle that she reportedly banned all Burgundy wine from the Palace of Versailles after this incident.
The Duke of Conti is said to have had as many as 40 mistresses and lived in extravagance. He also had a deep knowledge of paintings and food, and before he knew it, he began to seek the highest quality wine. The wine made from the field called "Romanée" came to be exclusively owned by the Duke of Conti, and it became a legendary wine that could only be tasted at the Palace of the Duke of Conti.
Then, in 1789, the French Revolution broke out. All the manors of the nobles were confiscated, and Romanée-Conti was faced with the crisis of changing its name and subdividing its fields. However, the historic vineyards that date back to Roman times have been revered by the people, and their reputation remained unchanged even after the revolution.
In 1794, this wine was officially named ``Romanée-Conti'', and this is where ``Romanée-Conti'', which is passed down to this day as a ``synonym for fine wine'', was born.
In 1869, the family of the current owner, Aubert de Vilaine, bought the domaine, adding to the already owned Richebourg, Echezeaux, and Grands Echezeaux, La Tache in 1933, Romanée Saint-Vivant in 1946, and Romanée Saint-Vivant in 1963. We also acquired the fields of Montrache. In 1942, the company was transformed into a corporate organization and a company called ``DRC'' was born.
