Echézeaux, Grand Cru, 2003
A complex wine full of opulent, creamy blackberry and blackthorn fruit with suggestions of tobacco leaf; excellent freshness, depth and a real sense of place.
critic reviews
Saturated ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, licorice, coffee, minerals and roasted nuts. Huge, full and creamy yet with harmonious acidity giving the wine shape and verve. Finishes with utterly suave tannins and explosive, building length. Wow! Jayer normally waits until his vines in the Hautes Cotes are ripe before he puts his pickers to work, with the result that the earlier-ripening Echezeaux normally achieves full phenolic maturity. In 2003, he didn't pick his first vineyard until early September.
Harvested at 13.2% natural potential alcohol, the 2003 Echezeaux bursts with scents of dark fruits and spices. Medium to full-bodied and revealing a terrific liquid silk-like mouth-feel in the attack as well as mid-palate, this wine is filled with blackberries, black cherries, spices, and highly present, slightly firm tannin. Fresh, deep, and expressive, it reveals a long, structured finish. Projected maturity: 2009-2018. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; (202) tel. 832-9083