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Neal Martin关于Echezeaux的文章

Under The Spotlight I: Echézeaux

I suspect that a football player would rather be a member of a successful team at the top of the second division than languishing at the bottom of the first. Slogging out 0-0 draws on rain-swept, boggy pitches worse than Wembley, each weekend another futile fight for survival, half-time hair-drier dressing downs from your apoplectic manager whose P45 edges one step closer each Saturday, the threat of bankruptcy lingering in the air (if only an affluent wine merchant from South London would bail us out…) and unforgiving fans chanting obscene couplets about the perversions of your bow-legged wife.
No thanks.

In this case, I feel a little sympathy for the ‘lowliest’ Grand Cru within the ambit of Vosne: Echézeaux.
Would its wines rather be a top performing Premier Cru or a lightweight Grand Cru? Perhaps it is more comfortable being a revered “Les Beaux Monts” than “Echézeaux”? Whilst its inclusion on the highest echelon of the Burgundy hierarchy offers a mandate to charge a premium, any self-respecting wine would rather be appreciated for its intrinsic quality irrespective of its status. To quite Clive Coates MW in “C?te d’Or” (pg 126): “Echézeaux is in general a second-division Grand Cru, without the concentration of the best. In many cases, the customer would be better off with a top premier cru wine, though he many not find it any cheaper.”
So we know where he stands then!

In my own experience, the wines of Echézeaux tend to be a little under-appreciated. I vividly recall when Corney & Barrow pitted DRC’s Echézeaux against the mighty La Tache where there were mutterings of a David versus Goliath encounter. But we all know the outcome of that little fracas and whilst LaTache came out victorious, Aubert’s “entry-level” Echézeaux proved to be no minnow. Factoring in price…well, I know which one I would open my wallet for.

Until I composed this article, I had no inkling that Echézeaux is a bit of an arriviste. I subconsciously date Burgundy back to those devout oenophiles, the Cistercian monks, but as Jacky Rigeaux explains in “Burgundy Grand Crus”, Echézeaux was only instituted by decree in 1937 when the AOC system came into existence. Prior to that, the Cistercians had owned the lieu-dit of Echézeaux du Dessus until the Revolution in 1789 and the eventual formation was an amalgamation of adjacent climats, all of which had been classified as “Premier Crus” by Jules Lavelle in 1855.

The problem that besets Echézeaux is that its 36.25-hectares (incidentally, a figure that oscillates wildly from one learned tome to another) is a patchwork of propitious terroirs and like Clos Vougeot and there are plots that should consider themselves damn fortunate to wear the Grand Cru shirt.

Turning towards the topography, the higher reaches are steeper, the soil thinner and sandier in lieux-dits such as Les Champs-Traversins and Les Rouges-du-Bas, the lower reaches flatter and more fertile in Les Treux and Les Suchots. The most propitious parcels could be claimed to be halfway up the slope on Bajocian marls and red silt of Cruots, the limestone bedrock of Les Beaux Monts or the calcerous soils of Echézeaux du Dessus. In the main part, consumers are bereft of information on the precise location that is rarely mentioned on the label. Consequently one has to rely upon the consistency of the grower whose track record that as we all know, can vary significantly. Alas, Echézeaux is not spared its clutch of under-performers. According to the Pitiot/Poupon “Nouvel Atlas des Grands Vignobles de Bourgogne” (1999) Echézeaux is crowded with 97 individual owners, though of course many are sold to négociants or blended together.

Last October (apologies for the tardiness), Roberson Wine Merchant organized a splendid tasting of several Echézeaux of various vintages that offered an informative peak into glories and hidden disappointments that this Grand Cru offers. Fortunately for this tasting, Roberson’s had diligently researched the location of each grower’s parcel that I have stated alongside vine age as per Charles Taylor MW’s/Remington Norman’s indispensable “Great Domaines of Burgundy.”
So once no less than Lord Michael Broadbent of St. James Street had taken a seat beside me (Michael buoyant from his recent High Court victory relating to “The Billionaire’s Vinegar”) we settled down for what was a fascinating tasting...with no vinegar, even if one or two participants did a good impression.

We commenced with Echézeaux Grand Cru 2004 from Domaine Confuron-Contetidot, which is sourced from 0.46-hectares of 65-year old vines located in Les Treux where Clos Vougeot meets Grands Echézeaux. Unfortunately it was blighted but that annoying “mothball”/ “green” aroma on the nose, though it was not as acute as other 2004s that I have recently encountered. The palate is sharp and tart on the entry and the finish already a little dry and disjointed. This continues to be a grower feted in some quarters, but I am still awaiting my own revelatory experience. Here, it was outclassed by the Echézeaux Grand Cru 2002 from Domaine Robert Arnoux, a wine that I had not encountered for a number of years, though here I appreciated that the oak was not as ‘obvious’ as Pascal Lachaux’s wines sometimes err towards (I usually find the 100% new wood superfluous.) Sourced from 0.95-hectares planted in 1968 in Les Rouge-du-Bas on the upper reaches, there was more restraint, more expression of the fruit that I anticipated, whilst the fleshy, supple finish was a delight. It was perhaps missing a touch of terroir, but it is drinking perfectly now and should offer great pleasure over the next decade.

The first contestant to transcend preconceptions was the heaven-sent Echézeaux Grand Cru 2002 from Domaine Réné Engel that comes from 0.55-hectares of vine planted in En Orveaux way back in 1929. From first sniff, I think every attendee was smitten by the purity and delineation of the bouquet, the sheer pinoté that this wine expressed: the sublime balance on the palate, the minimal effort expended in achieving such ethereal quality. It confirms the legacy of the late Phillipe Engel who passed away in May 2005, a great loss to Burgundy. To be honest, it was streets ahead of Echézeaux Grand Cru 2000 from Faiveley, also sourced from En Orveaux from 0.83-hectares planted between 1941 and 1958. The aromatics were a little clunky, the absence of finesse and rigid linearity exaggerated apposite Engel.

The Echézeaux Grand Cru from Domaine Fran?oise Lamarche is sourced from three parcels in Les Rouge du Bas, Les Cruots and Clos St. Denis planted in 1979 totalling 1.32-hectares. It was rustic and slight faecal, supple in texture but abrupt and lean on the finish. I have only warmed to their wines over the last 2-3 years, so I could not decide whether this bottle was out of condition or the wine simply lacked pedigree? Better was the Echézeaux Grand Cru 2000 from Domaine Jean Grivot that is sourced from Les Cruots planted in 1954 (augmented by a second parcel in recent years.) Deeper in colour than previous wines, the nose was crisp and fresh although shows a little too much oak on the nose, the palate smooth and supple, once again the oak lending a sensuous texture at the expense of terroir expression.

Next, a fascinating study in the propinquity of Echézeaux Grand Cru 1997 from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget and Echézeaux Grand Cru 1997 from Domaine Georges & Henri Jayer, which is virtually, but not completely, the same wine since the late Henri Jayer oversaw both. In 1996 Emmanuel Rouget took over from his uncle but naturally with his wealth of experience, Henri kept one hand on the tiller. In terms of the holdings, it takes time to unravel who own what, given the diaspora and conflation of Jayers over the locality, so I am indebted to Mark Andrew at Roberson for the following explanation…

The family owned four parcels of Echézeaux split between Henri, Georges and Lucien, the fourth split between Henri and Georges. Purportedly Henri’s was the best parcel in Les Cruots, next best was George’s that conjoined, whilst Henri deemed Lucien’s and the split parcel in Les Treux as less propitious. Henri tended to all the parcels and took half the crop in return. The plot owned by Henri was labelled Henri Jayer, the plot owned by Georges Jayer was labelled Georges & Henri Jayer, not to be confused with the split plot that was labelled Emmanuel Rouget and had been blended with Lucien’s plot since 1991.
Got that?
Now, assuming that all this is correct and that Henri did not swap a couple of labels around in order not to transgress French pension laws, what we are comparing here is Les Truex (Emmanuel Rouget) with Les Cruots (Georges & Henri.)

What was remarkable was how their evolution had bifurcated over ten years, for a mere peek into the glass showed that the Rouget was aesthetically more mature. It had a tarry element that dissipated with aeration, leading to secondary aromas of hot roof tile and raspberry leaf, patently denuded of the purité and delineation of the Jayer wine…the pinoté that Henri mustered in his wines. There was a slight bitterness evident on the Rouget, whilst the Georges et Henri Jayer Echézeaux was imbued with ethereal poise, a sense of energy and gracefulness that was utterly beguiling, commensurate with the pitifully few Henri Jayer wines that I have encountered. In essence, the parcel from Les Cruots seemed to reflect the sense of place more than Les Truex even though both had undergone identical vinification. It was a neat paradigm of the influence of terroir and attested to Henri’s assertion with respect to the differences in pedigree between the two parcels.

To finish off, two examples from the most famous Burgundy domaine of all: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, who own a sizable 4.67-hectares in “Poulailleres” next to Grands Echézeaux. To be honest, the Echézeaux 1969 was not in such fine fettle compared to the bottle I had encountered earlier in the year. Fortunately the Echézeaux Grand Cru 1979 was in better shape, though typically rustic and chunky compared the wines that Aubert de Villaine fashions today, which exude far more finesse and femininity. Given that this was not a great Burgundy vintage, the wine has held up well, although on this performance I would not cellar mine too much longer.

Overall, this was a thoroughly stimulating look at Echézeaux, one that did not alter my perception of a Grand Cru that in the right hands and from the right parcel can produce Burgundy wine of outstanding quality. For this writer, Engel’s 2002 was the embodiment of Echézeaux at its best: the reason why God created Pinot Noir. Elsewhere, you have to be careful. At times the wine inside the bottle does not merit the kudos of the words on the outside. Then again, is that not applicable to virtually anywhere in the C?te d’Or? I do think that the Echézeaux wines approach their drinking plateau sooner than others, as evinced on the many occasions I have juxtaposed DRC’s Echézeaux and Grands Echézeaux and at 3-8 years they can be delicious, whilst its Grand Cru peers tend to unfurl more gracefully. Therefore with a couple of exceptions, I would be wary of cellaring Echézeaux for more than 12-years.

In the second part, I will look at a Grand Cru that has distinct parallels with Echézeaux…Clos Vougeot, a Grand Cru whose Medieval wall encloses even more highs and lows…

(Thanks to Roberson Wine Merchant for organizing this superb tasting.)

Tasting Notes

2004 Domaine Confuron-Contetidot Echézeaux Grand Cru 85?
Like so many 2004s, there is a discernible greenness on the nose, not as extreme as some other 2004s that I have encountered, but it is there. It is a reedy kind of dryness that scalps what would otherwise be pleasant red-berried fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, a little sharp on the entry, Morello cherry and strawberry, the acidity quite sharp and with a nagging dryness towards the finish. Not a bad wine, but it is a typical 2004 with its bad traits. Drink now. Tasted October 2009.

2002 Domaine Robert Arnoux Echézeaux Grand Cru 92
This has a relatively light nose for an Arnoux, not as conspicuously oaky as I expected and I admire the style. Good definition and lift, light brambly red-berried fruit, you almost want to give it a kick up the arse. I wonder if the nose is still in a dumb phase? The palate is medium-bodied, nice and rounded on the entry, smooth and silky texture. This is a lovely, wily little Echézeaux, very feminine and seductive. Supple and fleshy towards the finish with very well integrated new oak. Modern in style, but with panache. Drink now-2017. Tasted October 2009.

2002 Domaine Réné Engel Echézeaux Grand Cru 95
The Engel does not quite have the definition on Arnoux’s 2002 when contrasted side by side. Very good lift, ripe raspberry and wild strawberry...I like the refinement and the naturalness here. Gaining intensity and coalescing in the glass. The palate is a little more tart, more pointed than the Arnoux, very vibrant and vigorous with clean crisp red-berries and mulberry, shot through with a citrus edge. This is just drinking beautifully now. I just would have liked a little more length, but that is just quibbling. This is a beautiful wine from the late Philip Engel. Drink now-2018+ Tasted October 2009.

2000 Faiveley Echézeaux Grand Cru 87
There is the first sign of ageing on the rim. The bouquet is lifted, lacks a little definition, but clean with mulberry, raspberry and a touch of hawthorn. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannins, good backbone, lacks the finesse of the other Echezeaux. Moderate length. It is just very linear, does not fan out on the finish. I find this “cumbersome” comparede to others. Drink now-2014. Tasted October 2009.

2000 Domaine Lamarche Echézeaux Grand Cru ?
This has a very rustic, farmyard nose that shows some signs of oxidation. Touch of singed leather. The palate is medium-bodied with an attractive, supple texture, sweet strawberry and redcurrant fruit, but just a little clipped towards the finish. Out of condition or just poor? Tasted October 2009.

2000 Domaine Jean Grivot Echézeaux Grand Cru 90
A noticeably deep colour compared to similar examples from two Echézeaux from Lamarche and Faiveley, whilst the nose is fresh but perhaps slightly over-oaked: dark cherry, tea leaves, a touch of singed leather and undergrowth. The palate is full-bodied, rounded smooth texture but as indicated by the nose, there oak is a little dominant even after a few years of bottle age but it has a lovely, sensuous finish. Drink now-2016. Tasted October 2009.

1997 Domaine Emmanuel Rouget Echézeaux Grand Cru 91
It is almost 10-years since I tasted this wine upon release. Rouget’s Echézeaux is already showing maturity on the tawny rim. The nose has a slightly tarry element to it, but it seems to dissipate with time, wild brambly fruit, raspberry leaf and warm roof tiles. Good definition but it does not quite have the purity. The palate is medium-bodied, crisp entry although there is a slight bitterness on the entry. This is an edgy Echézeaux with an agreeable scintilla of lemon rind on the finish. Drink now-2017. Tasted October 2009.

1997 Domaine Georges & Henri Jayer Echézeaux Grand Cru 96
This is just a thin tawny rim here. Then, a sublime, quintessentially “Jayer” bouquet that is ineffably defined: sumptuous, fully subsumed new oak, pure red-berried fruit laced with coffee and a touch of crushed stones. The palate is medium-bodied, beautifully knitted together, supremely fine filigree tannins and from start to finish it retains exquisite elegance and panache. This is in a different class to the Rouget Echézeaux ‘97 to be brutally honest. Drink now-2020. Tasted October 2009.

1979 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echézeaux Grand Cru 89
Very deep garnet core with tawny rim. The nose is a muffled with wild mushroom, mulberry, touch of red cherry, mint and a touch of mothballs. The palate is actually better than the bouquet, minty entry with a fresh vibrant mid-palate. Good weight although not a refined Echézeaux: chunky and bucolic/broad-shouldered compared to recent vintages. This is a carefree Echezeaux...it does not case about its hallowed name. This DRC gives pleasure to imbibe rather than intellectualize over. Drink now-2015. Tasted October 2009.

这个真的是篇不错的文章，好长，看了有点累

但是很有道理

收下了

好贴，顶一记！

看了一段，不错的

NEAL MARTIN接RP班挺好

我还是很喜欢他的文章的。比起现在RP的文章，他的更加有意思。有些随笔的感觉