Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2002, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014

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 Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2002
“Very rich and fox red. Slightly tawny, pale rim. Heady voluptuous nose. Violets on the nose and the first wine to be obviously DRC to me. There’s quite a bit of stemminess, almost greenness, on the palate. The palate is much less attractive than that all-enveloping, heady nose. Not sure what is going to happen to that acidity. Menthol nose and this bottle seemed just a tad dried out.” - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17/20 (Dec 2009)

“The 2002 Romanée Saint Vivant from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti has a heavenly bouquet. It was served blind but the tangible stem addition betrayed the grower, particularly when it was later compared next to an Henri Jayer. The bouquet is very complex with red berries, tree bark, a touch of dried blood and smoke, but what is striking is the delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and as you would expect, extremely well balanced. There is plenty of sappy red fruit here suffused with sage and rosemary, a touch of spice enlivening a finish that has impressive density (so much so that it could pass as a Richebourg.) I was not the only person to notice how it became more savory and ferrous in the glass, after 30 minutes suggesting a touch of Japanese tea (the proper, thickly textured type). Just wondrous. Tasted January 2016.” - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Mar 2016)

“Medium red with a palish rim. Very sexy aromas and flavors of cherry, dried rose, cinnamon and herbs. Not an opulent style but boasts terrific definition and energy to its strong cherry and berry flavors accented by pepper and leather. This very young, tight RSV needs either a few hours in a decanter or another 5+ years in the cellar. Will eventually go truffley and underbrushy but there’s no sign of tertiary aromas today.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 95+/100 (Nov 2015)

Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2006
“Lightish crimson with a pale rim. Still a bit of blue. Bright, healthy crimson. Sweet candified nose. Then quite a bit of acidity and freshness. Nice hint of fleshiness to come. But very teenage. Needs quite a bit of time. Lots of vibrancy and potential.” - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17.5/20 (Dec 2009)

“The Domaine de La Romanee-Conti’s 2006 Romanee-St.-Vivant charts its own mysterious path, dissimilar to that of their Grands-Echezeaux, as well as reflecting the strides in quality that have manifestly been achieved in recent years in this site, more than at any other at this domaine. Iris, buddleia, and musky narcissus-like floral perfume; ripe purple plum and blackberry; sassafras and licorice; along with smoked meat and a hoisin-like amalgam of spices and soy all waft alluringly from the glass. The tannins here are ultra-refined and there is a vintage-typical sense of levity, despite all of the dark intrigue of enveloping black fruits, forest floor, fungal, and carnal flavors that persist on the palate. It seems to marry the brightness and finesse of the 2002 with the textural richness of the (unexpectedly fine) 2000. I expect that this wine’s beauty will be worth pondering and savoring for at least two decades.” - David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Dec 2009)

“The 2006 Romanée St.-Vivant is surprisingly powerful, yet also quite spherical in shape. I very much like the precision and nuance. The 2006 has considerable energy and it should drink well for a number of years. It is also a big step up from the Échézeaux.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 94/100 (Oct 2015)

Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2008
“Pale cherry red. Plenty of peppery spice initially but also finely floral. Perfumed red fruit then emerges from under the spice, sweet, even a hint of vanilla. A little bit exotic but in a fresh, light way. Like the Grands Échezeaux, the power and intensity on the palate comes as a surprise after the delicacy of the nose. Much more savoury, moreish, tautly mouthwatering. Firm but grainless tannins. Dry finish that cries out for the next sip to try to plumb the wine’s depths. But the tiny tasting sample is all gone. Always so tantalising.” - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 19/20 (Feb 2011)

“The 2008 Romanee St. Vivant is pure seduction. The aromatics alone are breathtaking, but the RSV is truly firing on all cylinders. Curiously, today the RSV is quite a bit rounder and suppler than the Echezeaux and Grands-Echezeaux. It shows remarkable silkiness, inner perfume and nobility. A seamless finish rounds things out in style. My instincts tell me this will firm up in bottle, but frankly I am a bit mystified that hasn’t happened yet. Today, this doesn’t look like a super long-term ager within the context of the domaine’s very finest wines.” - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, 94/100 (Sep 2011)

“The 2008 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru has a beautiful bouquet with a slight Asian twist, wild mushroom (morels) and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine bead of acidity, white pepper, crushed rock and a touch of tobacco. Very long in the mouth. This oozes class, puts the Echézeaux in its place, and you can see it continuing to unfurl after 15-20 minutes.” - Neal Martin, Vinous, 94/100 (Nov 2021)

Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2013
“Transparent crimson. Very fragrant, showing the meatier side of red burgundy, hinting at possible gaminess to come. Fresh, crunchy redcurrant fruit in abundance. Great health and confidence. A bit more than medium weight with quite a charge of tannins. Great line. And persistence again.” - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 19/20 (Mar 2016)

“The 2013 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was picked on the afternoon of October 10 and then the following day, cropped at 17.5 hectoliters per hectare. The bouquet is adorable, so pure and comely, with shimmering red cherries, raspberry and orange blossom, a suggestion of cold flint imparting an enigmatic element, a Romanée-Saint-Vivant that is clearly going to bide its time. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, impressive weight and almost a surfeit of freshness. There is tension from start to finish that effortlessly disguises the weight, the penetration on the sustained finish. What a wonderful wine from the domaine.” - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Mar 2016)

“The 2013 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is still quite young, but it is drinking very nicely. Floral and lifted, with mid-weight, translucent structure, the 2013 expresses all of the understated finesse that is such a signature of this Grand Cru. Tea leaves, mint, dried flowers, cedar and blood orange weave through a core of red-toned fruit. Firm yet polished tannins extend the clean, bracing finish. Tasted next to the 2014, the 2013 is more aromatic and delicate in feel.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 97/100 (Mar 2026)

Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2014
“Pale to mid garnet, lighter than the Échezeaux and Grands Échezeaux. A change of gear in aroma too, with sweeter red fruit, though not as sweet or red as on the Corton. Already beautifully fragrant and expressive on the nose and just a hint of oak spice and lightly smoky/mineral. But it is the fruit that is most expressive at the moment. With air, that mineral quality becomes more marked, with a light cedar quality adding to the impression of freshness. Again a touch of mint or balsam. Deep and supple on the palate, the acidity more marked than on the Échezeaux and Grands Échezeaux giving it a more streamlined shape on the palate, the tannins carried along by the acidity rather than holding everything in. With air, a little more stemmy. Really deep and with a more chocolate texture to the tannins on the finish, smooth but grainy.” - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18.5/20 (Feb 2017)

“The 2014 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru was picked on 21, 22 and 23 September cropped at 31.6 hectoliters per hectare. Now this has a distinctly earthy bouquet, one that leads you into the dark woods. Yes, there is plenty of vivacious red berry fruit, here augmented with something autumnal, brown leaves on an October morning, moss and tree bark. Then with continued aeration, these shift away and are replaced by pure floral aromas. The palate is very precise on the entry with a touch of orange rind and mandarin complementing the crushed strawberry and raspberry fruit; there is a touch of spiciness towards the finish that exerts a gentle, yet insistent grip à la Richebourg. The persistence here is very impressive and it just seems to blossom in the glass until you have utterly succumbed to its charms.” - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (Mar 2017)

“The 2014 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru offers a stunning mix of RSV finesse and ripe, generous fruit. Dark red-toned fruit, blood orange, pomegranate and spice lend an exotic flair. Still quite young and wonderfully deep, the 2014 is magnificent. It’s a Burgundy that offers a warm embrace. The 2014 can be enjoyed now, but it also has the depth and pedigree to develop beautifully in bottle for many years to come.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 98/100 (Mar 2026)

Notes

Please note the damage to the back label of the Romanée-Conti Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2006 bottle. Please refer to the accompanying photographs for the bottle's condition.