2012 Echezeaux

Bright red with ruby highlights. Scented nose offers red cherry, raspberry, dark chocolate, dried flowers and graphite. Juicy, fresh and stylish, with subtle salinity to the cherry and raspberry fruit. The enticing dried flower element carries through on the sappy, slowly building finish. Michel Mallard told me that if he owned a case of this wine, he'd open a bottle each year. "I'd rather drink my wines one year too early than one year too late," he said.

(vinified for the first time with one-third whole clusters; 75% new oak): Bright medium red-ruby. Oaky aromas of cassis, black cherry and bitter tropical chocolate. Densely packed and vibrant, showing extremely primary, youthfully brooding black raspberry, blueberry and licorice flavors. Previously a rather expressive wine on its attack, this seems more structured and more subdued owing to the stem element. But more precise than recent vintages.

33% whole bunch. 70% new oak. Rich red fruits on the nose. More immediately expressive on the nose than the DRC Échezeaux – richer and sweeter at this stage. Very seductive and almost in the black cherry spectrum. Very very fruity with lots of intensity and pleasure. (JR)