The 2005 Echezeaux delivers ravishingly sweet, high-toned aromas of black raspberry, maraschino, marzipan, marmalade and iodine. It saturates the palate with sweet, ripe fruit and inner-mouth perfume, while introducing layers of fresh meat and shrimp-shell minerality. The texture is amazingly creamy and polished, and the long, refined finish adds an alluring hint of mocha. Superb saturation of ultra-ripe fruit but with freshness; remarkable concentration yet elegance, lift, indeed near weightlessness: this is 2005 at its best. The temptation to drink this in its early years will, I suspect, be irresistible ... let’s hope so anyway. It would be a shame for this beauty to be locked away as a collectible, even if it is capable of long-aging. Once the grapes in these fabled vineyards had reached a potential alcohol of 13%, reports Aubert de Villaine, he was ready to pick, because conditions had seldom been so conducive to perfect ripeness (including that of the stems). It was all done in a week, commencing with La Tache and Romanee Conti, and finishing on September 23 with Romanee-St.-Vivant (and Montrachet, on which I shall report at a future date). De Villaine intended to bottle in March or April by gravity in six-barrel lots, as has become general practice here over the past decade. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661.

Next to the super-refined, delicate 2006s, the 2005s come across as deeper and richer in personality. That is quite evident in the 2005 Échézeaux, a wonderfully lifted, precise Burgundy that is just starting to blossom. Today, the 2005 is all about nuance and detail. This is a terrific showing. Once again, in 2005 the Échézeaux is a real overachiever.

A pale ruby colour with soft, light crimson rim. This has simply a gorgeous, quite ravishing nose that is nigh irresistible. Bright red cherries fruit, wild strawberries infused with very ripe, almost exotic fruit such as star anis, blood orange and a touch of apricot. Very fine definition. After five minutes in the glass the nose is billowing, gaining intensity with more of the red fruit component taking over from the exotic. Hints of mocha and smoke. Very complex bouquet for an Echezeaux. After fifteen minutes the nose is mellowing out, harmonizing. The palate is medium-bodied, very good acidity, vibrant and vivacious with pretty red-berried fruit, a touch of wild hedgerow and a touch of bilberry. The filigree tannins ensure this is a very approachable, feminine wine with a light but persistent, graceful finish with just a touch of earthiness. A precocious charmer. Tasted February 2008.

The soaring nose of spicy cassis, black cherry and violets this displayed from cask has now become very reserved and brooding, merging into rich, full and utterly delicious flavors that possess a beguiling texture and unusually fine tannins compared to what I typically see with the Ech. This is a big wine by any measure with excellent mid-palate density and superb length. Really good stuff and as the "value" play in the DRC line-up, one to strongly consider because it surpasses its normal quality level by more than a fair margin in 2005.

Good full, deep red. Very pure aromas of dark berries, minerals, chocolate and spices. Sweet and primary, with lovely clarity to the dark fruit and mineral flavors. This grew rounder with air, finishing with substantial dusty tannins.