Investment Tips - Burgundy - 19. December 2024
DRC Romanée-St-Vivant: An Icon That Outperforms the Stock Market
Wide selection of Romanée-St-Vivant available for investment. Invest in the iconic white label from the most prestigious estate of them all.
Here’s your chance to invest in full cases of Romanée-St-Vivant in perfect condition from the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which reportedly delivers an average annual return of 11%. Learn more below.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Depending on how and what you measure, the results can vary when searching for "the greatest." But when combining all parameters – prestige, demand, fame, value, quality, myths, the right terroir, history, and so on – there is no estate above or beside Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. For this reason, the wines from this estate are considered the absolute best and most expensive in the world. Even the "more affordable" options are bucket-list wines for most wine enthusiasts, and in reality, a privilege enjoyed by very few. Although tens of thousands of bottles of DRC are produced annually, supply still cannot meet demand, and historically, all wines from the estate have delivered impressive returns.
Today, DRC produces nine wines – all Grand Crus from some of the world's most exceptional vineyards. Two of these are monopoles, meaning the vineyard is owned and exclusively operated by the estate. The monopoles include the flagship wines Romanée-Conti and La Tâche. Next in line are Romanée-St-Vivant and Richebourg, which, at the very least, rival the top wines of other renowned producers. DRC's Montrachet is considered one of the world's finest white wines, while their newly introduced Corton-Charlemagne (first released from the 2019 vintage) is already regarded in the same elite category.
DRC is simply exceptional, and access to their wines – especially in quantities, full cases, and in excellent condition – is, to put it mildly, highly restricted. Even here, access has been limited. Throughout 2024, we have not been able to offer DRC wines for investment through this platform – only in a few cases directly to select investors.
Now the opportunity is here.
Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru
Romanée-St-Vivant is located in the heart of Burgundy’s wine capital, Vosne-Romanée, and neighbors both La Romanée-Conti and Richebourg. The vineyard spans approximately 8.94 hectares, of which DRC owns about 60% (5.28 hectares). DRC has nine neighbors on the vineyard, including prominent names such as Arnoux-Lachaux, Hudelot-Noëllat, and Louis Latour. The absolute elite is also well represented with Leroy, Cathiard, and Dujac.
For most of the other producers, Romanée-St-Vivant is a flagship wine. This is not the case for DRC. Yet, DRC’s version is at least on par with the very best. That’s how exceptional DRC is.
Six Different Vintages Available for Investment
You now have the opportunity to choose from investments in six different vintages spanning 23 years. We have carefully analyzed quality based on scores from Burghound, Wine Advocate, and Vinous. Unsurprisingly, the quality is consistently high and remarkably stable, with a few standout vintages like 2019, which scores an average of 97.3 points across the three critics. The average score across all vintages from 2000 to 2021 is 94.8 points. Below, you’ll find the scores and total production for the six vintages available for investment:
2018
BH: 95, WA: n/a, VI: 94-96 = AVG: 95,0
Total Production: 12.709 bottles
2014
BH: 95, WA: 95, VI: 94+ = AVG: 94,7
Total Production: 21.076 bottles
2013
BH: 93, WA: 95, VI: 94+ = AVG: 94,0
Total Production: 10.459 bottles
2010
BH: 97, WA: 97, VI: 95 = AVG: 96,3
Total Production: 13.910 bottles
2009
BH: 96, WA: 94, VI: 97 = AVG: 95,7
Total Production: 18.271 bottles
2005
BH: 97, WA: 96, VI: 95 = AVG: 96,0
Total Production: 17.392 bottles
Strong Returns on DRC Romanée-St-Vivant
Consulting the British wine exchange, Liv-ex, reveals that the past 10 vintages of DRC Romanée-St-Vivant, which have been on the market for at least five years¹, delivered a return of 68.4% over the last five years. This equates to an average annual return of 11.0% during that period.
The above-mentioned five-year period includes some market corrections. In a best-case scenario, let’s look at the five years leading up to the peak in mid-2022. During this time, the last ten vintages, each of which had been on the market for at least five years, provided an average annual return of 25.5%. This serves as an example of the potential.
Shifting perspective, we can examine offer prices on wine-searcher.com. Here, the average offer price for the six wines currently available has increased by an average of 10.9% per year since their respective releases³. In other words, an 11% average annual return. Compelling, isn’t it?
However, the average offer price across all available DRC Romanée-St-Vivant has decreased by 17% since the aforementioned 2022 peak.
This is interesting for two reasons: Stocks are generally considered a high-return asset. According to Siegel’s constant, the (broad) stock market has historically delivered a consistent real return of 6.5-7% over the long term (something many seem to have forgotten lately). This aligns closely with the MSCI World Index, which has provided an average annual return of 6.3% over the past 20 years. In this perspective, DRC Romanée-St-Vivant appears to offer exceptionally high returns.
Despite this, it can now be acquired significantly cheaper than just two years ago.
¹ Vintages 2007–2016
² Vintages 2004–2013
³ 10 years of data available for vintages 2005, 2009, and 2010. The other three are measured from their release date.
RareWine Invest’s Opinion
When it comes to wine from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the reverence is well-deserved. Let us conclude where we began, with a tribute to this powerhouse that has, more than any other, shaped Burgundy into what it is today: the birthplace of the world’s finest and most exclusive wines. If you’ve been fortunate enough to taste DRC, you know precisely what makes it so special.
Now, you have a rare opportunity to secure one of DRC’s trophy wines in full cases and perfect condition. Even more, you have the privilege of choosing from several vintages if you act quickly.
Despite being the “younger sibling” to La Romanée-Conti and La Tâche, DRC’s Romanée-St-Vivant is an iconic wine whose reputation is further bolstered by producers like Leroy and Cathiard.
Unsurprisingly, Romanée-St-Vivant has also delivered strong returns, and with a 17% drop in the market over the past two years, this presents an attractive investment case with significant future potential.
All the vintages offered here have long lifespans ahead, and while we do not recommend one vintage over another, we strongly encourage investing in Romanée-St-Vivant from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. All wines are offered here at prices lower than the cheapest available on wine-searcher.com.
Click through to view prices and add these wines to your portfolio/start investing.