Nothing says “be my valentine” like a $500-a-sip Burgundy. But is it worth all the lumber?

Any great Burgundy can seduce me, yet as I sample the latest vintage of Domaine de la Romanee- Conti I find myself crassly calculating the cost of what's in the glass -- it's that stratospheric.

Even as recession looms, these Burgundy superstars -- six fabled red wines and one legendary white -- inspire bidding frenzies at auctions and prices skyrocket. Last October, a case of 1990 Romanee-Conti, the estate's top wine, sold at Sotheby's in New York for $262,900. That's $21,908 a bottle, or about $500 a sip.

The 2005s I'm tasting at their formal U.S. debut will cost from hundreds to thousands of dollars a bottle. The year is one of the finest vintages ever, so this should be one of the peak wine experiences of my life. As a collector once told me, great Bordeaux can be superb, but great Burgundy can send you out of your mind.

One thing I know: Today I'm not spitting.

The DRC, as it's known to wine lovers worldwide, is Burgundy's most famous estate. Its reds -- Echezeaux, Grands Echezeaux, Romanee-St. Vivant, Richebourg, La Tache, Romanee- Conti -- are benchmarks for pinot noir. Likewise its white, Montrachet, for chardonnay.

As if to underscore DRC's international status, this event unfolds in the wood-paneled David Rockefeller Room at New York's Harold Pratt House, home to the Council on Foreign Relations. A portrait of Rockefeller above the fireplace looks down serenely on the few dozen retailers, sommeliers and wine writers at round tables, each facing seven crystal glasses. A hush hangs over the room as we sip what turn out to be -- yes, spectacular wines.

Farmed biodynamically, DRC's grand cru vineyards are meticulously cared for and the grapes individually sorted. Even in a not-so-great year, the wines have pinpoint balance, haunting aromas, silky textures and complex layers of flavor that echo on the tongue long after swallowing.

Drought conditions and a constant north wind plus just the right touch of rain produced beautiful grapes in 2005 and gave extra depth and dimension to the wines, according to slim, elegant DRC co-director Aubert de Villaine.

Though young and tight, the individual wines' personalities shine through.

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