The 2009 Echezeaux is pure silk. Black cherries, spices, licorice and tar are all woven together in a fabric of nearly indescribable elegance. All the elements fall into place as the Echezeaux captivates both the intellectual and hedonistic senses. This is a wine that impresses for its understated elegance. Readers won’t fine the drive of the Clos de Vougeot or the structure of the Richebourg. Instead, the Echezeaux possesses stunning textural finesse and phenomenal balance. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. Etienne Grivot’s 2009s were some of the most exciting wines I tasted on my most recent trip to Burgundy. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400

Deep red with ruby tones. Pungent blueberry, dark raspberry and minerals on the nose, complicated by smoky and earthy nuances. Wonderfully silky, round and sensual but classically dry, with a distinctly saline iodiney character to the berry fruit. This combines a big structure and terrific precision on the back half. Probably best today on the long, rising finish, which conveys a powerful sensation of soil. A great Echezeaux in the making.

Tasted out of barrel at the Domaine. This is a little reductive on the nose at the moment, opening with a little swirling of the glass, with attractive limestone and crushed dried flowers emerging. The palate is very well balanced with tensile tannins, very fresh red-berried fruits: redcurrant, cranberry and pomegranate with a slightly grainy but very precise finish. Long and seductive. Tasted November 2010.