The 2021 Echézeaux Grand Cru, which comes from lieux-dits, has a clean and precise bouquet, gradually unfolding with quite pure black cherry and crushed strawberry fruit, plenty of crushed violet here. The palate is medium-bodied with a creamy opening. Some new oak needs to be subsumed, but there is fine weight and density, a nice countervailing bitterness that adds contrast to the creaminess on the finish. It deserves 4-5 years in bottle.

Cask sample. Light to mid crimson. Less scented and more ‘serious’ smelling than the Vosne-Romanée. Ripe fruit flavours on the palate, both fresh fruit and dried fruit (not raisined though) but perhaps without the density that would better match those flavours. Firm, dry, super-smooth tannins. Elegant, dry finish. I think there is less obvious reason to buy grands crus this year when there is so much pleasure at premier cru and village level. (JH)