Romanee St Vivant AOC, Burgundy: 10 Best Bottles, Prices (2024)

Romanee St Vivant is a Grand Cru vineyard perched on the lower slopes of Vosne-Romanée in the Cote de Nuits subregion of Burgundy. 

It has many owners, but the largest portion is owned by the exalted Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

These Grand Cru Pinot Noir wines are held in extremely high regard and have a dedicated fan following for their delicate texture and elegance. 

Let’s explore Romanee St Vivant, including the wine styles, 10 best bottles worth buying in 2024, and their investment potential. We’ll also briefly look at the climat’s history.

Romanee St Vivant: Style and Characteristics

The Pinot Noir grape is the main variety in Romanee Saint Vivant. 

Although the AOC allows for up to 15% Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris as accessory grapes, almost no producer practices it.

The red wine produced in Romanee Saint Vivant perfectly captures the subtlety and complexity of the Burgundian Pinot Noir. They tend to be dark red, turning more crimson as they age. 

The wines from this Grand Cru vineyard have a broad bouquet, including red and black fruit, violet, exotic spice, herbs, and underbrush. 

As for the tasting note, they exude a flavor of red fruit, with elegant notes of dried rose and violet. 

Although they are often more delicate, there are plenty of tannins to ensure these wines can undergo a good amount of aging. 

10 Fine Romanee St Vivant Wines to Buy in 2024

Here are 10 of the best wines from Romanee Saint Vivant:

• 2015 Domaine Leroy Romanee St Vivant Grand Cru
• 2005 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru
• 2016 Sylvain Cathiard Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru
• 2005 Lucien Le Moine Romanee Saint Vivant Grand Cru
• 2009 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Romanee-St-Vivant Grand Cru
• 2005 Louis Latour Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru Les Quatre Journaux
• 1999 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru
• 2013 Domaine Poisot Romanee Saint Vivant
• 2003 Domaine Follin-Arbelet Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru
• 2012 Nicolas Potel Maison Roche de Bellene Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru

1. 2015 Domaine Leroy Romanee St Vivant Grand Cru ($15,064)

This Pinot radiates elegance with an enchanting nose of rose petals and wild strawberry.  The palate is powerful, with excellent delineation on the persistent finish. 

2. 2005 Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru ($6,212)

A unique bouquet of pink grapefruit, blood orange, wild strawberry, and cinnamon leads to a palate of floral notes with soy and cassis flavors and abundant tannins.

3. 2016 Sylvain Cathiard Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru ($4,260)

With only three barrels made, this sought-after wine offers an aroma of rich fruit, cherry, and spice. The medium-bodied palate is saturated with a flavor of black cherry, cassis, and orange.

4. 2005 Lucien Le Moine Romanee Saint Vivant Grand Cru ($1,607)

Aromas of raspberry, dark berry, and graphite drift from the glass on opening. An incredible palate of purple fruit, violet, and minerals ties it all together.

5. 2009 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux Romanee-St-Vivant Grand Cru ($3,617)

The nose combines wood and exotic spice with red berry and plum. The bouquet complements flavors of dark fruit, licorice, and mint.

6. 2005 Louis Latour Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru Les Quatre Journaux ($717)

An elegant nose of cassis and spices with a hint of mint complements the intense flavors of black fruit that define the medium bodied palate.

7. 1999 Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru ($1,343)

Fine floral aromas of spice, earth, and aniseed lead to a palate of red cherry and raspberry fruit and subtle hints of new oak aging. 

8. 2013 Domaine Poisot Romanee Saint Vivant ($300)

Crisp red berry and black fruit on the nose blend with hints of cherry and raspberry. Fresh fruit flavors on the palate with focused freshness and fine tannin.

9. 2003 Domaine Follin-Arbelet Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru ($328)

A deep red color in the glass, the wine offers an aroma of violet, red berry, and black fruit on the nose. Fine tannin textures enhance the flavors of raspberry fruit.

10. 2012 Nicolas Potel Maison Roche de Bellene Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru ($548)

A beautiful bouquet of pure red cherry with a silky, medium bodied palate and structured intensity is all completed by the lingering finish.

Investing in Romanee St Vivant Wines

Romanee Saint Vivant red wine bottles benefit from at least 10 years of aging before drinking, but the finer bottle can develop complexity over 20-30 years. 

In addition, the exceptional quality means wine critics consistently give these wines near-perfect scores. For example: 

• Domaine Leroy Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 1999 and 2017 vintages received 96 from Robert Parker.
• Domaine de la Romanee Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant 2005 vintage received a perfect 100 from Decanter, 20/20 from Jancis Robinson, and near-perfect 99 points from Robert Parker.

In addition, only about 32,000 bottles are produced a year - making these wines a challenge to find. 

Romanee Saint Vivant wines have also performed exceptionally at auctions: 

• A case of 1988 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti sold at Bonhams Fine Wine and Spirits sale in December 2021 for over $388,874. 
• Six bottles of Domaine Leroy’s 2001 Romanee Saint Vivant Grand Cru sold for over $41,500 in May 2018 at a Christie’s auction. 

If you’d like to invest in Romanee Saint Vivant wines, be sure to use a trusted wine investment company like Vinovest. The platform makes it easy to buy, store, and sell fine wine bottles from France, New Zealand, and anywhere else in the world. 

Romanee St Vivant: Climate and Viticulture

Located between Flagey-Échezeaux and Nuits-Saint-Georges, Romanee Saint Vivant occupies prime growing space in the Côte de Nuits. It lies within the Vosnee-Romanee commune, bordering La Grand Rue in the south and Les Suchots in the north. 

The vines grow at 250m-310m and face east. The vines also enjoy a limestone base in soils 90cm deep with a high clay component. 

The higher concentrations of clay explain why Romanee St Vivant wines are so different from those of its neighbors. Clay generally makes a more feminine wine, while limestone is the source of more powerful variations, as in nearby La Tâche. 

A Brief History of Romanee St Vivant

Romanee Saint Vivant began as “Clos-St-Vivant” when the Abbey of St-Vivant owned it. After the French Revolution, Nicolas-Joseph Marey bought the entire vineyard.

It remained a monopole for over a century until the Marey-Monge family sold the southwestern part of the vineyard to the Latour family in 1898. The family sold northern parts of the vineyard to Charles Noellat later. 

The site became a Grand Cru in 1936. During this time, the Marey-Monge family still held most of the vineyard. Then, in the 1960s, the family leased the land to Domaine de la Romanee Conti before the domaine bought the remaining vineyards from the Marey family in 1988.

Wine produced when Domaine de la Romanee Conti leased the land still bears the name Marey-Monge on the label. 

Today, the climat is home to six Grands Crus, each famous in its own respect. 

Invest in a Bottle of Fine Romanee St Vivant Wine!

Romanee Saint Vivant produces some of the finest expressions of Burgundian Pinot Noirs. 

Aside from the outstanding craftsmanship, these wines can age for decades, making them a valuable addition to your collection. 

Visit the Vinovest website if you’d like to invest in a bottle or two of Romanee St Vivant wine.