Stand at the Wall of Romanée-Conti

Romanée-Conti: 1.8 hectares. 5,000 bottles per year. $25,000 average bottle price. In 2018, a single bottle of 1945 DRC sold at Sotheby's for $558,000 - the most expensive wine ever auctioned. You cannot tour the domaine. But you can stand at the wall and touch the stones that guard the world's most valuable vineyard.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Find the Stone Cross History · Free

   The 15th-century stone cross marking the Romanée-Conti vineyard.

   From Vosne-Romanée village, walk north on Route des Grands Crus for ~1km. The stone cross is on the left side of the road, marking the northern edge of the 1.8-hectare vineyard. Touch the base - it dates from the 1500s when the Prince de Conti owned the site.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Walk the Full Perimeter Adventure · Free

   The entire vineyard is only 400m x 170m - you can walk around it.

   The vineyard is bordered by La Romanée (north), Richebourg (east), and La Grande Rue (south). Walk the public paths along all four sides - the entire circuit takes ~15 minutes. Notice how the soil changes color between plots (Romanée-Conti has more iron-rich red soil).

   Log Memory
3. 3 Read the DRC Plaques History · Free

   Small stone markers identify each DRC-owned Grand Cru.

   Along Route des Grands Crus, find the small stone plaques marking each DRC monopole: Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, and the shared holdings in Richebourg, Grands-Echézeaux, and Echézeaux. Photograph each one - they're the closest you'll get to DRC's heart.

   Log Memory
4. 4 Count the Vine Rows Adventure · Free · Optional

   Approximately how many rows of vines create the world's most expensive wine?

   Stand at the cross and count the rows visible from east to west. There are roughly 25-30 rows across the 170m width. Each row produces ~200 bottles of $25,000 wine. Do the math - that's $5 million per row, annually.

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Visit at dawn for the most atmospheric light and no other tourists

• The soil here is Bajocian limestone with iron-rich clay - notice the reddish tinge

• Romanée-Conti was completely replanted in 1946-47 due to phylloxera - the 1945 vintage (600 bottles) was the last of the pre-war vines

• DRC owns 100% of Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, but shares other Grand Crus with neighbors