The 2011 Échézeaux literally jumps from the glass with a heady melange of dark red fruit, sweet floral notes and crushed rocks. Rich and explosive on the palate, yet backed up with significant structure and pure intensity, the 2011 is firing on all cylinders. First and foremost, the Échézeaux is a wine of pure texture. The Échézeaux emerges from 7-8 parcels in the Poulallières climat. There is so much to like here.

Good bright, dark red. Pungent, deep, ripe aromas of redcurrant, minerals and graphite. A sweet, plush Echezeaux with a sexy juicy quality to its complex flavors of redcurrant, red cherry, spices and tobacco. Fine-grained, minerally and cool in the middle palate. Ripe and rich but with a restrained sweetness. The tactile back end nicely combines thickness and energy. An Echezeaux of finesse. Incidentally, Aubert de Villaine describes the 2011s in general as "supple and hedonistic wines with hidden charms."

Picked on 10 and 11 September at 22.04hl/ha, the Echezeaux Grand Cru has a delicate, quite feminine bouquet with scents of fresh strawberry, undergrowth and just a hint of dry tobacco. It opens nicely with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly brusque entry. The tannins are quite pointed here, creating a more angular Echezeaux compared to the 2011, whilst it needs to develop just a little more flesh and weight towards the back end that feels a little brittle and attenuated at the moment. Still, there is a fine saline, almost nori seaweed tang on the aftertaste – a nice twist in the tail. 1,030 cases produced. Drink now-2027