The 2019 Grands Échézeaux Grand Cru is more reserved than the Échézeaux, even if it's far from forbidding. Mingling aromas of blackberries and raspberries with notions of exotic spices, orange rind, smoked duck and forest floor, it's full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with broad structural shoulders supplied by ripe, powdery tannins. Layered and muscular, it's remarkably seamless and integrated at this early stage, concluding with a long, sapid finish.
The 2018 Grands Échézeaux Grand Cru is a rich, muscular wine, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, red fruit compote and plums mingled with subtle hints of exotic spices and peonies. Full-bodied, fleshy and broad-shouldered, with an ample core of fruit, powdery tannins, ripe acids and a long, heady finish. Out of the gates, the 2018 is something of a fruit bomb, but with time it should metabolize that puppy fat to become something special.
More brooding and reserved than the Échézeaux that preceded it in the tasting, the 2017 Grands Échézeaux Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with an enticing bouquet of cassis, blackberries, blood orange, exotic spices, and musk. On the palate, it's full-bodied, ample, and fleshy, with a more introverted, structured profile than the Échézeaux, its considerable reserves of concentrated fruit framed by an abundance of powdery tannin and succulent acids. Long and penetrating, this will reward sustained bottle age.
The 2015 Grands Échézeaux Grand Cru is more brooding and reserved than the Échézeaux, opening in the glass with notes of raspberry, plum preserve, currant leaf, blood orange, hints of the forest floor to come and, again, a rich framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with notable structural amplitude and a long, authoritative and firmly tannic finish. This is always a wine that takes a long time to show all its cards, and the 2015 is no exception, but the raw materials indicate that patience will bear dividends.
Slightly deeper in colour compared to the 2014 Echézeaux, it is undeniably a tangible step up in intensity and complexity, offering disarming raspberry, crushed strawberry, and crushed limestone that almost verges on flintiness. It has beguiling purity and focus. The palate is medium bodied with a noticeably grippy entry. It has a strong saline seam, structured but not a dense Grands Echézeaux. It gently fans out on the finish with pretty, mineral-soaked red fruit.
It has a vivid bouquet of Morello cherry, strawberry, crushed stone and just a touch of wilted rose petal, all beautifully defined and seeming to gain intensity in the glass. The palate is extremely well balanced, and the acidity is well judged. There are earthy tones present, a hint of autumn woodland, a subtle but very attractive leafiness embroidered into the fruit. This is a very typical Grands Echézeaux, perhaps a little introspective compared to the more outgoing Echézeaux, but there is considerable length.
The 2010 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru is just a fantastic wine from the Domaine. The nose is heavenly with its exquisite delineation, the fruit maybe a touch darker and earthier than a couple of years ago -- yet still with subtle woodland/sous-bois aromas and a hint of morels. The palate is wonderfully defined, so fresh and precise with filigree tannin. Yet there is great backbone to this wine, a framework that imparts a sense of symmetry that is totally disarming.
The 2008 Grands-Echezeaux is a stunningly beautiful wine. Exotic notes of star anise, fennel, hard candy, and orange peel meld into a deep core of expressive fruit. The 2008 Grands-Echezeaux is powerful from start to finish, with endless layers of flavour that grow in the glass. It is a spherical, multi-dimensional Burgundy in need of at least a few years in the cellar, perhaps quite a few.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti - Grands Echézeaux - Grand Cru
The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is a legendary producer of fine wines and spirits, and their Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru is no exception. This wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Grands Echézeaux vineyard, which is located in the heart of the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy, France.
The taste profile of this wine is complex and nuanced, with notes of black cherry, raspberry, and spice. It has a full body and a long, smooth finish that lingers on the palate. This wine is best enjoyed with rich, hearty dishes like beef stew or roasted lamb, but it can also be sipped on its own as a luxurious treat.
The history of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti dates back to the 13th century, when the vineyard was first planted by monks. Over the centuries, the estate has changed hands many times, but it has always been known for producing some of the finest wines in the world. Today, the estate is owned by the de Villaine and Leroy families, who continue to uphold the tradition of excellence that has made the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti a household name among wine lovers.
If you're looking for a truly exceptional wine to add to your collection, or if you simply want to treat yourself to a luxurious bottle of wine, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru is an excellent choice. Whether you enjoy it with a meal or savor it on its own, this wine is sure to impress.
The Domaine's 2006 Grands-Echezeaux is altogether less charming and flattering than its ostensibly lesser sibling, leading as it does with fresh red meat and pronouncedly saline, marine mineral notes even in the nose. In the mouth, this is relatively spare but formidably-concentrated and finely-tannic, with cedar, tartly-edged though ripe black fruits, and alkaline mineral notes that carry into a striking, bloodily carnal and almost briny finish. Here is Pinot Noir in its role as a mirror for human flesh and bone. What I see sends shivers down my spine and excites my imagination, but the wine seems to have no intention of flattering me. I didn't encounter another Pinot at all like this in the vintage, and it should be fascinating to follow for a dozen or more years, but unlike the Echezeaux, I would not plan to open any bottles for at least another 3-4.
The Domaine de La Romanee-Conti harvested from the 20th-25th of September (commencing with Richebourg) and subjected the crop to rigorous sorting. Understandably, the viticultural meticulousness at this estate as well as its team of some 60 highly-skilled and –motivated pickers paid dividends in the context of a challenging vintage. Director Aubert de Villaine and cellarmaster Bernard Noblet vinified their 2006s with a lesser share of stems and whole clusters, and exposed them to new wood for a shorter period (thereafter racking into older barrels) than the corresponding 2005s.
The 2005 Grands-Echezeaux displays an utterly different, less charming personality than its “little” sibling. Fresh black raspberry and black cherry hover between sorbet-like and faintly-caramelized manifestations. The palate is obviously dense, with considerable grip and ultra-fine tannins, incipient silkiness, but not the creaminess of the Echezeaux. Fresh berry, faintly tart fruit skin, and nut oils inform an uncannily kinetic finish that makes one’s mouth quiver.
The 2003 Grands Echézeaux from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti impressed its audience and duped everyone from thinking it heralded from the 2003 vintage. It has a potent ripe strawberry, mulberry and dried rose petal nose that actually had to throw off a little reduction upon first acquaintance. The palate is medium-bodied with layers of sappy red berry fruit. The initial tightness gradually dissipates to reveal quite a "stocky" Grands Echézeaux with good length, if not the detail of a top vintage from this vineyard.
The Grands Echézeaux 2000 is a cerebral Burgundy, not quite as convincing as it was three years ago, but still a great wine. Here it has a vibrant red berry, stony bouquet that is reserved at first, but opens nicely with limestone and sea-spray scents emerging with time. It has a quite brilliant balance on the palate–not a powerful Grands Echézeaux but complex, with hints of black olive and chlorophyll emerging toward the finish that gently fans out and becomes a little spicier as it aerates. Superb.
The dark ruby-colored 1999 Grands-Echezeaux has gorgeous talcum powder, perfume, and candied cherry aromas. This sumptuously sweet, yet elegant, medium-bodied wine is crammed with blackberries and sugar-coated cherries. Oak shows through in this wine's satiny finish. Drink it over the next 12 years.
