Domaine Leroy   Romanee Saint Vivant Grand Cru

2007 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru

By Domaine Leroy

2007 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru from Domaine Leroy, Burgundy

Across the venerable terroirs of Burgundy, few can captivate an oenophile's sensibility as masterfully as the 2007 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru from Domaine Leroy. This exceptional vintage has etched itself into my memory with a compelling narrative of both grace and resilience.

 

A Harmony of Complexity and Elegance

Amidst a season of climatic whimsy in 2007, Burgundy faced challenges that tested the mettle of its vineyards. Yet, it is often under such trials that true brilliance is forged. Domaine Leroy’s craftsmanship turned apparent adversity into a sublime expression of Pinot Noir. Their meticulous attention to biodynamic principles allowed them to coax forth a wine of textural finesse and unparalleled depth. The 2007 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru reflects this balance spectacularly, offering a potpourri of ripe cherries and blackcurrant, interlaced with an earthy spice that bespeaks its origin.

 

Investment Potential Wrapped in Silk

For connoisseurs and investors alike, pedigree is tantamount to potential—and by pedigree, I mean both producer and provenance. The inimitable Domaine Leroy has nurtured their parcels on the esteemed slopes of Romanee-Saint-Vivant with near-zealous dedication. Each bottle from this Grand Cru speaks not only of its vintage but also acts as an ambassador for Burgundy's illustrious narrative.

The 2007 incarnation seems to carry itself with a dignified poise that almost belies its blossoming complexity. A seamless amalgamation of red fruit brightness and brooding understories of humus and leather proffer the kind of layered tasting experience that remains etched upon one's sensory memory. Beneath this luxurious tapestry lies a foundation robust enough to suggest considerable longevity, endowing this wine with investment allure.

In closing, the 2007 Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru from Domaine Leroy stands as a testament to the winemaking prowess and visionary viticulture practices prominent in Burgundy. Its distinct heritage enshrined within each bottle ensures its position as one of the wines highly prized by investors and enthusiasts yearning to add an iconic representation of this region’s artistry to their collection.

Current market price

$130,410.00

12x75cl

Highest score

95

POP score

5224

Scores and tasting notes

95

A marine aura surrounds Bize-Leroy’s 2007 Romanee-St.-Vivant as it had this year’s Corton Renardes and several other of her wines, although in the present instance, that is more to be expected. Dark berries and dark, mossy, humus-rich forest floor; saline, crustacean-reduction, and oyster flesh mineral-animal savor; sweetly ripe raspberry, all follow from the nose across a sumptuously rich palate, and into a prodigious, saliva-inducing finish. A trace of warmth (rare in the present collection) doesn’t detract noticeably from what is an extraordinary performance. Follow it over the next 20 years. The results Lalou Bize-Leroy achieved in 2006 – as I wrote in my previous red Burgundy report – were especially notable considering the misgivings she expressed early on about that vintage. She appeared more enthusiastic early on about 2007, but in this instance it’s far from merely notable – frankly, it’s utterly improbable – the richness and complexity that the Leroy team has achieved, especially considering that harvesting began here already on August 27! This collection is quite distinctive even from the very few others of its vintage that come even remotely close in quality. These 2007s display a sense of effortless effusiveness, primary juiciness, and – I don’t know how to put this less nebulously – elegance and in the best instances transparency, contrasting with the impressions of tumescent ripeness, coagulation, and new wood veneer that in some vintages accompany the profound richness of Leroy reds. As usual, the wines were all bottled in December, which at least in this vintage seems less difficult to reconcile with their exceptional quality than it does in vintages like 2005 or 2008, when so many of the other top practitioners of red Burgundy emphasize the need for longer elevage. Extremely low yields are of course also a common denominator among Bize-Leroy’s collections, although in the challenging 2007 vintage, she had somewhat more company than usual among fellow-vignerons in the roughly 20 hectoliter-per-hectare range. (And that was bounteous compared with the 13 hectoliters per hectare Bize-Leroy reports having managed in 2008, a vintage from which she did not want to show her bottled wines until June of this year, so that I shall publish notes on them in my follow-up to the present report.) Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400

David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010

Vintage performance