Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Echézeaux Grand Cru, matured entirely in new oak, has a gorgeous black cherry, raspberry coulis and mineral-infused bouquet, coiled tightly at first but unfurling with each swirl of the glass. The palate is well structured, a Grand Cru with admirable backbone. There is patently impressive depth with multi-layered red and black fruit, edging towards something more rich and dense towards the persistent finish. Emmanuel Rouget was surprised when I opined a preference for his Cros Parantoux this year, so obviously he is a big fan. And yes, this is an excellent grand cru, yet it does not possess quite the same nervosité as the Parantoux.
Barrel Sample: 93-95
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Claiming the two famous Grand Crus, Echezeaux and Grands Echezeaux, the identity of this village, Flagey-Echezeaux, rides predominantly on the glory of those two crus. All of the village or Premier Cru status vineyards in Flagey-Echezeaux market themselves under the name of their neighbor, Vosne-Romanée.
Echezeaux Pinot noir tends be light, bright and full of finesse, whereas those of Grands Echezeaux typically have more heft and complexity.