2013 Echezeaux

Matured entirely in new oak and the only cru to include whole-bunch fruit (20%), the 2013 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a very sensual bouquet with kirsch, rose petals, a touch of licorice and minerals, here the oak neatly integrated into the fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This feels spicy in the mouth with plenty of substance and good tension, although I would not describe it as the Echézeaux ’13 with the most finesse. This is burlier and more forthright, an Echézeaux that comes straight to the point. Very fine.

Matured entirely in new oak and the only cru to include whole-bunch fruit (20%), the 2013 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a very sensual bouquet with kirsch, rose petals, a touch of licorice and minerals, here the oak neatly integrated into the fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This feels spicy in the mouth with plenty of substance and good tension, although I would not describe it as the Echézeaux ’13 with the most finesse. This is burlier and more forthright, an Echézeaux that comes straight to the point. Very fine.||Alas, poor Maxime Chuerlin was having "car trouble" when I arrived at his winery in Vosne, though his stagiaire was on hand to take me through the wines in his family's living room, whose patio doors look out over the most prestigious vines possibly in the world. In fact, the young stagiaire and I embarked on an interesting exchange about Bordeaux and Burgundy since her family owns a very famous Saint Emilion Cru Classé. It was easy to tell that the experience had opened her eyes. ||Back to the wines and Maxime's 2013s were picked October 6-10 and were completely destemmed apart from 20% whole bunch fruit in the Echézeaux. As I remarked in last year's report, I think Maxime is a huge talent, someone destined for stardom. At the same time, I found some of the application of new oak on the "smaller" wines a little excessive and occasionally blurred the nuances between vineyards when there was no need. His fruit is good enough to not require that level of new oak, though on the Grand Crus it is assimilated better and did not impede the character of the wine. The 2012 provided more substance to support that level of new oak, but the 2013 was an entirely different matter and more prudence might have benefited the wines. Still, I enjoyed many of these "babies" and look forward to tasting his 2014s. Hopefully by then he would have made it back home.| eRobertParker.com.December, 2014