Last night, among many other wines, we had a 1987 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezaux. Really good and very alive (although fully mature). It made me think, I have had some really good wines from Mongeard-Mugneret over the years, including from such vintages as 1983 and 1988. I also tasted a really good 2005 Echezaux from them. I am beginning to think I don’t drink enough of their wines. Anyone with more experience.
I can’t speak from much experience but they are often brought up in “under the radar” discussions.
Ive liked what ive had.
Howard…tasting note from last month. I’ve always liked their wines…
1990 Mongeard-Mugneret Richebourg (France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru) 96 pts
I pulled the cork and poured carefully from the bottle. No decant….just wanted to see how the wine developed over the evening. Very deep color with some browning on the rim. Initially big dark red bing cherry jam blossomed out of the glass. Instantly, the sous bois and earthy elements started to develop. On the palate this definitely is a big boy. Lot of extract. Great mouthfeel, soft refined tannins, mushroom, forest floor and a sweetness and balance that was wonderful. As the wine developed after 1/2 hour, the soy elements started to come forward with more savory notes. Interestingly, after 2 1/2 hours, the cherries reappeared. The finish on this wine was spectacular with that sweetness, balance and just the right amount of acidity that one gets from great wines with age. It just seemed to linger on the palate. So, I was very impressed…Yes there is oak, but well integreated. Perhaps it’s style not to everyone’s liking, but for us this evening it was perfect.
The 99 Echezeaux is one of the more memorable examples I’ve had of that wine and was one of my first forays into “good, high-end” Burgundy.
Had it off the list at Cru in 2005 (if memory serves me correct) for about $109.
had an 08 ech this weekend that was very fruit forward with nice clean acidity. The oak built up really hard after about 3 hours but on the pop and pour it was very delightful.
I think the one quality I seem to notice the most is the oak, it takes awhile to integrate. The oldest I had was 1993 and there was still that oak presence.
JJ Buckley during their annual sale sells a BUNCH of them at cheap prices!
I think they represent solid value.
I find them consistently very good and delicious. But nobody ever carries their torch to declare them the next best thing.
I think they are rated about right. Can look a little oaky in their youth, usually age quite well and need a bit of time.
I picked up a few Ech vv’s in the 95 vintage. Tried one. It was burly and a tad rustic - but in a good way.
I think with their vineyards (Riche, Grand Ech and Ech among others) they ought to be producing wonderful wines.
Agree.
We opened a '90 GE on the weekend, surprisingly looked a bit faded. A '92 Echezeaux next to it was brighter and deeper, and quite nice any foresty/gamey…
I find the E and GE to be about right, they seem generally to be solid, but not great, but perhaps think that the Richebourg is underrated.
I have had a couple of very good ones, but none better than superb '95, which blew everything else away on the day…
They are a “try before you buy” producer. Great value when they do it right. VVW in Palo Alto is pouring their 2009 lineup tomorrow. I had and bought their 2009 CdV earlier.
Depends on the wine, as their are some very serious gems in the stable (Savigny Narbantons, VR Petit Monts, Clos Vougeot, Grands Echezeaux and Eche VV all come to mind). For the most part, the wines are really, really cheap, all things considered. They can show quite a bit of oak in their youth, but the wines mellow out nicely. They aren’t show horse wines, and won’t beat out say Meo Camuzet, who makes several of the same Grand Cru wines, BUT, you will never feel cheated. JJ Buckeley blew out a ton of their 07 and 08 Grand Cru wines for under $80 a bottle.
I find the wines somewhat inconsistent, though the Echezeaux and Echezeaux VV are usually quite good, as well as the VR Orveaux. They also represent good value when they are good. I do occasionally find a heavy-handed use of oak though rarely with the wines mentioned.
In the '80s and early '90s, I used to think of them as the epitome of rustic wines compared to others making the same wines. Maybe as much as anything because their holdings were usually made by others in a much more finesseful style. As a result, my interest moved on, after visiting in the very late '80s.
I am generally a hater of the 04 vintage and the mean greenies… The 04 MM richebourg was incredibly elegant. A bit of cherry and solid acidity but still well rounded and overall a great example.
I completely concur on the 99s mentioned above. It was a great year for mongeard.
What is impressive to me is (1) how reasonably their Echezaux and Grands Echezaux is priced and (2) how well older bottles mature.
My view, like many above, is that they outperform if given time in the bottle. Recently, their '93 Ech was extremely impressive double blind in my group’s “Overachieving 1ers vs. Underchieving GCs” dinner, pitting Amoureuses/Suchots/CSJ etc. against Clos Vougeot/Ech etc. It was certainly of GC quality. I was pretty happy to pick up some Gr. Ech. '07 at <$80. I am sure it will be wicked good in a few years.
I find most of them too oaky when young but it does seem to integrate nicely in better vintages. They pulled off the tricky feat of having their wines age very well in both 1990 and 1991.
BTW - their Bourgogne has been an exception to the overly oaky rule and is one of my favorite inexpensive choices for near term drinking. A bit too lean even for me in 2008 I expect the 2009 might be a good choice. I’ll certainly give it a try despite my current 2009ophobia.
I agree. Never in the first rank, solid values, but a little unexciting with occasional exceptions.
alan
I very much have a need and place for this category in my cellar. I can’t afford too many – or any DRCs or Leroys – first rank Burgundies. I don’t need to drink them very often, either, though, which helps. I am thankful for the large number of mid-range producers. I wonder where houses like Jadot and Faiveley fit – I would put them in the top of the mid-ranks, occasionally bottom of the tops. Those are usually the most expensive wines I can afford, with wines like Jadot’s CSJ being a top value wine for a guy like me.