Romanee Conti
說 Romanée- Conti (羅曼尼‧康帝) 是世界上最貴的紅酒一點也不為過. 當然這裡指的是市面上可以買得到的, 不含那種超過百年的古董酒. Domaine de la Romanée Conti (是其酒莊名, 又稱DRC) 的紅酒產自世界馳名的法國勃根地酒區 (Burgundy),平均葡萄樹齡 (the age of vine)超過五十年的 Romanée- Conti, 要 價每瓶超過美金$1,500,是其中之最. 它之所以珍貴,除了量少外(諾大的葡萄園中可以產這種酒的只有一個足球場大小,所以每年僅產約450箱), 來自大自然奇妙的組合才是其真正特別之處. 這塊土地加上當地的水質和天候讓 Pinot Noir這個品種的葡萄大放異彩,而那含有百年歷史的法國酒更被稱為 the taste of terroir (土壤的滋味). 有人說,如果今天這片土地種的是 merlot 而不是 pinot noir, 也許就沒有今日DRC的地位了, 可見土壤佔了一瓶好葡萄酒多麼重要的地位. 1995年Richard Olney's出版的 Romanée-Conti中寫到:
Romanée-Conti: "The wine of princes, it is velvet, seduction and mystery. Fuller, more spherical; it has the feel of volume, it is more voluptuous...velvet and satin...the scents of violets...truffles, game, undergrowth...It is as if all the stops had been pulled on a great cathedral organ, not in the sense that the wine is overpowering, for it is all delicacy and nuance; it is the infinite complexity which makes one catch one's breath."
簡直就是把所有對酒可以用盡的好字眼都放在它身上了. 另外, 名列世上最昂貴酒第一名的DRC則擁有這樣的評語:
Dom. Romane Conti 1997 - app. $1,540
This French red Burgundy smells of berries, spices and leather. Dark in color, it hints at flavors of soy sauce, flowers and licorice. The aroma is rich and penetrating without being too profound. The Romane Conti is a rare wine that has carved a niche for itself along the years. At over fifteen hundred dollars a bottle, it no longer has anything to prove. Consistently, the Romane Conti fetches prices around the thousand dollar mark no matter the vintage.
沒錯, pinot noir 就是美麗心世界 (Sideways)裡面男主角們頻頻追尋的紅酒葡萄 (我最愛的香檳酒 VCP也是使用此種葡萄), 這裡是一些關於 pinot noir這個品種的介紹:
Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult grapes to grow and make into fine wine. It is also one of the very best when it is done properly. It has very specific requirements for its growing conditions. It needs warm days and cool nights. If Pinot Noir receives too little heat in the growing season, its wines are thin and pale. If the growing season is too warm, the wines have an overripe, cooked flavor.
Pinot Noir produces a small crop. It has low amounts of tannin and relatively high acid levels for a red grape. Pinot Noir found its fame in the Burgundy region of France where it is the primary grape used for red wines. It is also a major component in the production of most fine quality Champagne and California sparkling wines.
