2008 Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg Echézeaux Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
The 2008 Echezeaux is flat-out great. It is a deep, dark wine graced with exquisite balance, lovely inner perfume and a layered, eternal finish. Here the slightly higher percentage of new oak (70%) gives the wine an additional measure of volume. The Echezeaux is made from two parcels; Les Rouges du Bas (just in front of Clos Vougeot) and Les Quartiers de Nuits (next to Clos Vougeot) vinified together. Everything of the Echezeaux is first-class. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. This is an impressive set of wines from sisters Marie-Andree and Marie-Christine Mugneret. I can’t think of too many estates that did so well in both 2008 and 2009. Beginning with the 2009 vintage, the estate has simplified their name to Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg, which should eliminate some of the confusion of past years. The 2009 harvest began on September 12. The fruit was 100% destemmed. Marie-Andree Mugneret told me she was concerned about over-extracting given the inherent richness in the fruit, so she opted for a gentle approach to vinification. Cuvaison ranged from 15-20 days. After pressing the wines were moved into oak, where they saw one racking just after the malos. New oak ranged from 10% for the Bourgogne, 25% for the Vosne-Romanee, 40% for the Chaignots, 45% for the Feusselottes and 70% for the Grand Crus, from four different coopers. During the time of my visit the wines were being moved into steel, where they would remain for three months prior to bottling. Mugneret planned to bottle with no fining or filtration. Readers should also pay close attention to the estate’s 2008s, which are simply brilliant. The 2008 harvest started on the 22nd of September. Some of the malos took as long as a year to finish. Importers: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300, a Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Bright red. Dark raspberry, licorice, spicy sweet oak and a peppery whiff on the nose. Then sweet and lush in the mouth; bigger, richer and fuller than the premier crus but without quite the definition of the Feusselottes. Still, there's no undue heaviness here, and a hint of orange peel on the back gives lift to the aftertaste.
Good deep red-ruby color. Pristine aromas of raspberry, minerals, rose petal and pepper. Broad, silky and sweet, but with peppery, pungent minerality giving the middle palate a sappy, succulent quality. This firmly tannic and very long wine boasts a deep core of spicy, minerally fruit.
Light, bright crimson. Quite rich with some real depth and great cleanliness and precision. Far from the richest Echézeaux from this address but very pretty. Long. There’s grip here. (JR)