Grands Echezeaux 2013 Domaine de la Romanee Conti

Tasting Note Grands Echezeaux 2013

Initially, aromas of red fruit come to the fore, but beneath them, earthier notes emerge. On the palate, the fruit is vibrant rather than overly rich. The tannins are delicate and tightly woven, and the acidity leads to a long, refreshing finish. 

Grape Varieties

Grands Echezeaux 2013 is made from Pinot Noir.

The Domaine de la Romanee Conti vines are derived from a Romanée-Conti lineage the estate selected itself.

Cellaring Potential

Firm yet delicate tannins and crisp acidity provide balance to the wine. It is best enjoyed through 2044. Decant for about an hour and serve at 16-18°C.

About Domaine de la Romanee Conti

Every vineyard of Domaine de la Romanee Conti is classified Grand Cru. There are no Village or Premier Cru vineyards, the one exception being Cuvee Duvault-Blochet, an occasional bottling from young vines and casks left out of the final blends. Around 25 hectares in total: Romanee-Conti and La Tache are monopoles, owned outright, alongside shares in Richebourg, Romanee-Saint-Vivant, Echezeaux and Grands Echezeaux, plus Montrachet and leased Corton and Corton-Charlemagne plots over in the Cote de Beaune. Pinot Noir for the seven reds, Chardonnay for the whites, grown from vine selections traced back to the Romanee-Conti vineyard itself. Soil is tilled by hand or with horses, and the estate went fully biodynamic in 2007, without putting a certification logo on the bottle. Yields sit at 20 to 30 hectolitres per hectare where 42 is permitted.

Terroir & Climate

Grands-Echezeaux is located in Flagey-Echezeaux, set between Clos de Vougeot and Échezeaux, and covers an area of 9.1 hectares. Of this, Domaine de la Romanee Conti accounts for the largest portion at 3.5263 hectares. Thanks to well-drained limestone and clay soils mixed with gravel, the roots can grow deep. This terroir is uniform, resulting in wines that are characterized more by structure than by delicacy. Because the cool continental air slows down ripening, Pinot Noir retains its acidity well.

Winemaking

The whole clusters are placed in open wooden fermentation tanks with natural yeast, then transferred to new oak barrels. The wine is bottled without filtration. This whole-cluster fermentation method is where the spicy, stemmy lift comes from.

Food Pairing

It pairs well with game dishes such as saddle of venison and roasted wild duck. It also pairs well with boeuf bourguignon, as the fat from the braised beef harmonizes with the wine's delicate tannins without overpowering its fruity flavors. Mushroom dishes also pair well with this wine, as Côte de Nuits Pinot Noir's earthy notes blend seamlessly with the flavors of morels or porcini mushrooms. Many people also enjoy Grands Echezeaux on its own.