2007 Grands Echezeaux

With some of the same syrupy but attractive and tartly-edged red raspberry and cherry fruit character as the corresponding Echezeaux, Drouhin’s 2007 Grands Echezeaux is tinged with vanilla, fruit pit bitterness, and chalk. But this boasts an energy and vibrancy of a different order, and indeed, surprising for the vintage. Texturally polished – though by no means bereft of tannin – this should keep well for at least half a dozen years, and might well gain further complexity in the process. “2008 was very slow in doing its malolactic – which was good, and ended up with a pretty lively impression of acidity” remarked Veronique Boss-Drouhin, “and I think the wines will be slow to evolve in bottle, as well.” Numerous cuvees were still in tank or barrel when I visited in March, which constitutes an unusually late schedule at this address. The 2007s, by contrast, were bottled even earlier than normal, most at age 12 months. In 2008, a 15-25% share of stems and whole clusters was included in the fermenting vat for the Clos des Mouches and for most of the Drouhin grand crus, whereas in 2007 that degree of vendange entier was practically the rule across the entire Drouhin range (by no means all of which I tasted). Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770