La Tâche 2000, 2007

Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains an expansive collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via refrigerated container. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality.

Critics Ratings

Romanée-Conti La Tâche 2000
“The 2000 La Tâche Grand Cru is drinking just as well now as it was when I last encountered it two years ago. As deep and complex as ever, it evokes wilted rose petals, sweet wild berry fruit, exotic spices, orange rind and violets, followed by a full-bodied, sensual and enveloping palate that’s suave and layered, with succulent acids and a long, sapid finish. Served side by side, it’s thicker and lustier than the more ethereal, haunting Romanée-Conti itself, but both bottles were showing brilliantly.” - William Kelley, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Feb 2025)

“Interestingly, I have found some bottle variation apropos of the 2000 La Tâche Grand Cru, something that chimes with Stephen Tanzer’s note from back in 2003. Some bottles have come across rather lean and excessively ferrous. This particular bottle is one of the better examples, simply because that ferrous note is less accentuated. Featuring predominantly black fruit on the nose, it develops scents of stewed black tea, bay leaf and gravel with time. The palate is open-knit with slightly raw tannins.” - Neal Martin, Vinous, 91/100 (Jan 2020)

'Twenty years on the 2000 La Tâche is beginning to lose some of its baby fat, although it is still redolent of lush floral notes and exotic spice on the nose. As the oak begins to recede, ripe, solid cherry fruit with a firmly mineral undercurrent come to the fore and the substance and grip of the wine becomes evident. Although this was pleasant in its youth, do not be deceived into thinking it will not age; this is a wine of great breed and elegance.' - Charles Curtis, Decanter, 98/100 (Nov 2020)

'The 2000 La Tâche Grand Cru is showing extraordinarily well, and I can only assume that the comparatively parsimonious appreciation it has received from other wine critics is owing to insecurity concerning awarding a high score to a wine from an "off vintage." Soaring from the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of wilted rose petals, sweet wild berry fruit, exotic spices, orange rind and violets, it's full-bodied, sensual and enveloping, with a deep and layered core of fruit, melting tannins, succulent acids and a long, sapid finish. Fully mature, the 2000 is one of the most rewarding recent vintages of La Tâche to drink today.' - William Kelley, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Mar 2022)

'Truly glorious and incredibly seductive in the nose, with a complex but also subtle swirl of fruit, herbs and spice. Bold, sleek and velvety on the palate, with a distinct core that is pleasingly redolent of fresh-picked grape stems, but surrounded by ripe raspberry and cherry flavors. It evens out with hints of leather, toast, crème brûlée, rose petals, citrus and toast on the long, lingering finish.' - Wine Enthusiast, 97/100 (Oct 2003)

Romanée-Conti La Tâche 2007
“The 2007 La Tâche Grand Cru is fully mature, offering up aromas of red berries, potpourri and spices mingled with hints of forest floor and new oak. Medium-bodied, with lively acids, melted tannins and an open, comparatively evolved core, my sense is that it’s at its best today and over the next handful of years.” - William Kelley, Wine Advocate, 93/100 (Feb 2025)

'2007 La Tâche was restrained and elegant, with an alluring bouquet of bright red fruit such as pomegranate and cranberry, plus a bit of the sweetness of fraise de bois, then an accent of rose petals and violets. The texture is fresh, almost crisp. There is a perfumed elegance, and although the wine lacks the exuberant, dense character of the 2017 vintage, it sustains the fruit with its grippy tannin instead. 2022-2045' – Charles Curtis MW, Decanter, 96/100 (Jun 2022)

'The 2007 La Tâche Grand Cru is a vintage that I have not tasted since bottling. Now 11 years old, it shows extremely well in the context of the growing season. Almost delicate red fruit springs from the glass, wild strawberry and morello cherries mingling with undergrowth and tree-bark-like scents, becoming more floral with aeration and yet never powerful. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, almost lace-like tannins more redolent of Romanée-Conti. This displays wonderful precision and is lean in style for a La Tâche, but the sense of energy and athleticism is completely endearing. Tasted in November 2018 at the Roumier Musigny dinner at Épure in Hong Kong. 2019-2035' - Neal Martin, Vinous, 94/100 (Nov 2018)

'Different than the rest of the range from barrel and different in bottle, with a nose that's unevolved, dense and spicy. Displays deep, rich blackberry, black currant and licorice flavors on the palate, building and expanding to the long mineral finish. -- Non-blind 2007 DRC tasting (February 2010). Best from 2014 through 2032.' - Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, 95/100 (Aug 2012)

Notes

Please note that several bottles in this lot exhibit damage and wear to the back labels. Please refer to the accompanying photographs for the condition of each bottle.