Anyone else out there feel that Echézeaux is actually undervalued? I know we have had many discussions over the years where people opine that Echézeaux and perhaps Clos de Vougeot may be considered for demotion. I disagree on both fronts but more and more I’m beginning to realise I really like Echézeaux and that it is often a value Grand Cru in the context of a producer’s other Grand Crus.
DRC still make the best version for mine and wines such as the 83, 85 and 90 are still humming whilst younger vintages such as 01 and 08 are suburb, brimming with potential. Dujac’s version has always been a favourite of mine (the 88 is particularly good now and the 99 a brooding ball of potential) and the last few years the Ech seems to have picked up density and it well and truly matches it with the other big boy Grand Crus in the cellar when tasting the wines on release. Jayer-Gilles has been making great Echézeaux for decades and obviously the Henri Jayer Echézeaux wines have their place in Burgundian history as some of the greatest red wines made from the region. Emmanuel Rouget continues to make terrific Echézeaux. We import the wines of Daniel Rion into Australia and their Echézeaux is particularly good value (the 09, 10 and 11 are outstanding). The likes of Faiveley, Liger-Belair, Grivot, Confuron-Cotetidot, Cecile Tremblay and Mugneret-Gibourg all make beautiful wines from this vineyard so what says you? Is Echézeaux undervalued?
Cheers
Jeremy
P:S: Last nights bottle of 2008 Georges Jayer Echézeaux (E.Rouget) was sublime. It showed remarkable poise and proportion with an engaging scent of rose petals, cherries and fresh earth. It had a heart of sweet red fruit and everything was in focus, so sharp and clear. There was a thread of spice and great mineral cut to the finish.
Good to hear on the Georges Jayer, as I’ve got a few coming! I love Echezeaux…more Vosne spice the better! When I tasted the 2008 DRC’s…I was blown away by the first sniff and taste of the first wine(Echezeaux)…and that spice and profile continued all the way through to the RC. When done…I kept thinking to myself…why spend 4k for the RC, or even 1500 hun for LT when I can spend just $400 and get that same exotic spice and pretty close profile?? Might not age as well…but for early consumption…I see the value!
DRC Ech. often surprises blind, great value for money as far as the DRC portfolio goes…
Jayers have been (and are still) very great, as now are Rouget’s wines.
Some fo the odd (hypen) Jayers we had also looked pretty smart, with some of the old ones being pretty amazing.
Mugneret-Gibourg is another one I really rate, beautiful wines…
Lots of great Echezeauxs out there (add Dujac to great suggestions above) but it’s hard for me to think of any Burgundy as undervalued these days.
exactly my thought–and that of my wallet.
alan
The 2009 version was a real eye opener for me. What an incredible wine. I grew up thinking Ech was second rate, mainly because of what I read. Consequently, I never bought any. I am definitely a buyer now.
I would say more under appreciated than undervalued.
I do, Jeremy. Through the 2008 vintage, with very careful shopping, I would occasionally find Arnoux, Faiveley, and Grivot Echezeaux for no more than $80.
But even with their more commonly seen prices of $120, I think they’d be good values, compared to similar prices for most better-than-average premier crus.
I think the reason most Grand Cru’s like Echezeaux and Clos Vougeout are undervalued is that there are many producers and sometimes bad ones. Looking above, every house mentioned makes great wine. If we were to talk about the ones that don’t, it changes things a bit. These are the ones that drag down prices a lot. That said, that means there are always a few unknown to most that make good value. Collectively, we normally find them, and then a couple years later they get expensive once everyone knows how good they are. It will always be a cycle like that with 20-30+ producers from a single vineyard.
The best regarded vineyards are monopoles or ones with only a few owners who also mostly happen to make great wine. They also have great terroir, but I think in most cases quality of wine is most influenced by the maker/grower. In some years, easy, great vintage type years, everyone makes great wine, but for the most part I think great wine is made by great winemakers. Really great wine is made by the subgroup of those who have great terrior to work with. Echezeaux is pretty damn good terroir and will remain undervalued perhaps, but not if you want to buy DRC, and unfortunately not Mugneret Gibourg either. Just have to find the newest one who makes good wine there and for 2 or 3 vintages it will be a steal- well that, and in vintages like 2007 you can find stellar deals all over.
I think Confuron-Cotetidot’s version is undervalued in particular.
The DRC 2001 Echezeaux on Monday night was excellent, even surpassing the very good 99 Rousseau Clos St Jacques by a good margin. Also recently was a 1980 Henri Jayer Echezeaux which was also superb. In that league of producers Echezeaux can certainly pass many other grand crus.
This was my thought as relates most Grand Cru…
Not by me, it isn’t. I found out a while ago, that Échezeaux from several of the usual suspects already mentioned can produce wines worthy of their Grand Cru denomination.
Generally spoken, I think it is indeed underrated. One just has to do the extra work of finding out what specific lieu-dits the grapes came from, assuming the domaine is sound.
A few years ago, maybe yes ( I remember paying 30-35£ a bottle in the mid 2000s)…but now? Undervalued?..
??? Well…for example Liger Belair Echezeaux at 400 £…if you can find it…undervalued?.. maybe versus la Romanee Conti, but many other first class grand cru (Chambertins,…) can be had for no more money.
I always thought the problem was producer and location of terroir given heterogeneity.
Had a bottle of 1986 Faiveley Echézeaux tonight. This is one of the last bottles from a case from which we have derived much pleasure over the last decade or so. It is just taking on a little brown sugar oxidation but with air it becomes less apparent (if this makes any sense). There’s some pine needle sap, sous bois, smoked meats and cherry on the nose. In the mouth it has a core of liqueur cherry. There some earthy flavours and a light thread of floral spice. It has decent volume and finishes with some tea leaf tannins and crisp acidity.
Price just rose $100 due to this thread!
I really enjoy Echezeaux, and can thankfully still afford it. I am especially fond of Bocquenet Echezeaux. It’s more rustic than some, but I like that.
I think, in general, Echezeaux is a different case than Vougeot altogether, for two reasons:
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Echezeaux is indeed inconsistent terroir, but, all in all, excellent terroir, whereas there are definitely parcels of Vougeot that deserve to be demoted and that are artificially part of the vineyard. Some of the land there is definitely marshy, flat and poor in terms of producing exceptional quality grapes, especially in the southeastern corners of the vineyard. But Echezeaux is right in the tenderloin of vignoble that begins with the Romanee GCs and continues through to Musigny, Bonnes Mares, the Morey Clos and the Chambertins. Vougeot stretches too far south on the cote of this meaty run.
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The historical situation of Echezeaux means that many talented families own, have owned or passed on to family associates a piece, namely premier Vosne producers, most of whom have already been named, such as Confuron, Mugneret, Gros, Grivot, Jayer, Meo, Liger-Belair, et al. Clos Vougeot has a different and much more tortured historical ownership, without as many exceptional winegrowing families as tied to the land as Ech.
Lastly, I had my very first DRC wine last week and it was a 99 Echezeaux. Holy-mindblowing-wine, Batman! I’ll add to that that two very good and unmentioned producers of Ech. are Regis-Forey and Mongeard-Mugneret, especially in recent vintages.
Cheers!
'99 DRC Ech. (along with the '05 and '90) are outstanding wines…would easily sit in a group of the top wines of that vintage.
No. Not when I cannot afford it.