1996 Echezeaux

This wine is a stunning example of this all-too-often weak grand cru. It possesses enthralling aromas of black raspberries, dark cherries, beef blood, and Asian spices that give way to an oily-textured, magnificently concentrated, highly-refined, and very focused personality. This superbly sweet and lush offering is feminine, opulent, well-structured, and powerful. Its prodigiously long finish reveals loads of soft tannins. Drink it between 2003 and 2010. Note: This wine had finished its malo-lactic fermentation in September, 1997, and had been racked and sulphured two weeks before my visit. This process can have the effect of temporarily drying out the fruit and decreasing the intensity of color in wines. If anything, it will become darker, have more body, and be lusher than my notes would suggest. "The most important thing for me is harmony. I don't want hard and tannic wines. Those that are too tannic will never be good." So stated Etienne Grivot, the tall, intelligent, Basset Hound-eyed, and youngish man in charge of the domaine that bears his father's name. This estate produces some of Burgundy's finest wines, and consumers need to search them out before their prices reflect their quality. Importer: Chateaux and Estates Wine Co., New York, NY; Tel; (212) 572-7725.