Domaine de La Romanée-Conti

Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru (Marey-Monge)

Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanée

2021

Vintage

Varietal

Pinot Noir

ABV

Peak 2026-2059

Where it is, June 2026

At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2026-2059).

In 2026 this 2021 Romanee-Saint-Vivant is just entering its early peak, very young with a vast runway ahead. The drinking window opened in 2024, but a cool, classical grand cru like this rewards patience: the plateau runs from 2026 all the way to 2059 before a slow turn and hard decline near 2072. That is more than three decades of prime drinking still in front of it. Right now the high acidity (9) keeps everything taut and lifted, while the structure is only beginning to unwind. You can absolutely open a bottle today to study its perfumed, penetrating character, but the smart move is to hold the bulk and let the saline, mineral core deepen over the coming decade and beyond.

Related vintages

The ‘21 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru (Marey-Monge).

DRC's 2021 Romanee-Saint-Vivant from the Marey-Monge parcel is a cool, classical Vosne grand cru just entering a decades-long peak.

Drinking window

The arcYou are here · at peak, 2026

Tasting note

Intense and perfumed, this leads with dark berries, rose petals, orange rind, aromatic bark and a whiff of coniferous forest floor. It is full-bodied (7) yet weightless on its feet, vibrant and penetrating rather than heavy, with the cool 2021 season showing in its precision. The tannins sit at a measured 6, fine-grained and present but never blocky, giving the wine a frame that will carry it for decades without ever dominating the fruit. What truly defines it is the acid: a soaring high-acid spine (9) that lifts the aromatics, sharpens the red and dark fruit, and drives the finish to an intensely saline, almost briny close. That salinity is the signature here, a mineral grip that lingers long after the perfume fades. Classical, structured and alive, this is a grand cru built on tension and length rather than weight.

The 2021 vintage

2021 was a small, hard-won vintage in Burgundy. Severe April frosts cut into the buds, then a cool, cloudy, damp summer brought relentless mildew pressure, and Pinot Noir yields landed around 30 to 35 percent of normal. The Cote de Nuits fared better than the frost-hit Cote de Beaune and was more preserved for reds, producing balanced, graceful wines with fresh, classical structure and lower alcohol than recent hot years. It marks a genuine return to classicism, and the best examples are built to age.

About Domaine de La Romanée-Conti

Domaine de la Romanee-Conti farms the Marey-Monge parcel, which the estate has held since 1988 and which makes up more than half of the Romanee-Saint-Vivant appellation. The domaine went fully biodynamic from 2007 and vinifies with whole clusters, keeping the stems rather than destemming. In a cool, classical year like 2021, that whole-cluster, biodynamic approach amplifies the wine's aromatic lift, fine tannin and saline tension.

From the cellar: pair with

Roast squab with beetroot and a red wine jus

The fine tannin (6) meshes with the dark, gamey meat while the bird's richness gives the structure something to grip without overwhelming the perfume.

Duck breast with cherry and orange reduction

The high acid (9) cuts the duck fat and the sweet-tart sauce, echoing the wine's orange-rind note and keeping every bite fresh and lifted.

Mushroom and truffle risotto

The full body (7) and earthy, coniferous, saline character stand up to the umami richness, matching weight for weight while the salinity makes the truffle sing.

Service & cellaring

Serving Temp: 60-64F (16-18C)
Decanting: Decant 60 to 90 minutes ahead. At only a few years old this 2021 is tightly wound, and air coaxes out the rose petal, orange rind and forest aromatics while softening the still-youthful frame. A wide decanter helps the high-acid, saline core open without losing its precision.
Cellar Storage: 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.

Track this bottle Read the Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Vosne-Romanée guide

The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.

Frequently Asked

When should I drink this 2021 DRC Romanee-Saint-Vivant?

It is drinkable now, having opened in 2024, but in 2026 it is only just entering its early peak. The plateau runs to 2059, so you can enjoy a bottle today or, better, hold most of your allocation and let the saline, classical structure deepen over the next decade and beyond.

Should I decant it?

Yes. Give it 60 to 90 minutes in a wide decanter. At this young age the wine is tight, and air draws out the rose petal, orange rind and forest-floor aromatics while easing the fine tannins, letting the high-acid, saline core express itself fully without losing precision.

What food pairs best with it?

Reach for dishes with richness and a little acidity to meet its frame: roast squab, duck breast with cherry and orange, or a truffle-laced mushroom risotto. The fine tannin (6), soaring acid (9) and full body (7) all want savory, earthy, faintly gamey partners.

How long can I cellar or hold it?

A very long time. This 2021 sits at the front edge of a peak that extends to 2059, with hard decline only near 2072. Stored cool on its side at around 55F with steady humidity, it has more than three decades of prime drinking ahead, so there is no rush whatsoever to open it.

What should I open next in a similar style?

For more cool, classical Pinot Noir, explore the [Burgundy cellar guide](/wines/region/burgundy) and our broader [Pinot Noir wines](/wines/varietal/pinot-noir). To taste a riper, more open vintage of this exact grand cru, compare the [2019 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru](/wines/domaine-de-la-romanee-conti/romanee-saint-vivant-grand-cru-marey-monge/2019).