Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2010

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

This is the second time that I have tasted the 2010 Grands Echézeaux Grand Cru from bottle from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and it was a wine that prompted a table of mature Pinot aficionadoes to remark upon the joys of infanticide. This is just a fantastic wine from the domaine. The nose is heavenly with its exquisite delineation, the fruit maybe a touch darker and earthier than a couple of years ago -- yet still with subtle woodland/sous-bois aromas and a hint of morels. The palate is wonderfully defined, so fresh and precise with filigree tannin. Yet there is great backbone to this wine, a framework that imparts a sense of symmetry that is totally disarming. Of course, readers should afford this magnificent wine a decade in the cellar...unless by complete accident a corkscrew falls into the cork and twists around until the cork pops out. Then you will have to drink it.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2010 Grands-Echezeaux is totally weightless and beautiful. Crushed flowers, mint and sweet tobacco waft from the glass. The Grands-Echezeaux shows off phenomenal inner perfume and sweetness in a deceptively understated style that is immensely appealing. A seriously long, intense finish rounds things out in style. The 2010 is notable for a level of finesse that isn’t always a signature of this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2030-2050. I tasted the 2010s twice from barrel, once in the summer just as the wines were about to be racked and then again during my early December visit. On both occasions the wines were stellar. Like virtually all of his colleagues, co-manager Aubert de Villaine was surprised by the level of the 2010s given all of the challenges of the growing season. I could repeat everything de Villaine told me, but there is no better source than the man himself, so readers who want to learn more about the 2010 harvest may want to take a look at my interview with de Villaine on www.erobertparker.com. Overall, I am very impressed with the 2010s with the exception of the Corton, which appears to be a notch or two below the 2009. The 2010 that most greatly exceeds its appellation and historical level of quality is the Echezeaux. I also tasted the 2010 Vosne-Romanee Cuvee Duvault-Blochet but the domaine had not yet decided if the wine would be released. I will report on the 2009s in our April issue. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Picked slightly earlier than the Echezeaux 2010 on 29th and 30th September, the Grands Echezeaux is a turn volte-face from its “little brother”. It is much deeper and more expansive on the nose with layers of pure Morello, raspberry, game and an intriguing slight musky scent. As usual at this nascent stage it is deceptively understated, but it blossoms in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied but patently has more weight and dimension than the Echezeaux, the tannins a little grippier. There is a citric thread on the entry that is embroidered through this wine, keeping it supremely well focused and highlighting the wonderful structure and symmetry on the finish. This is a beautiful Grands Echezeaux: fresh, complex and true to its terroir. Total production is 903 cases. Tasted January 2013.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2010 Grands-Echézeaux is totally weightless and beautiful. Crushed flowers, mint and sweet tobacco waft from the glass. The Grands-Echézeaux shows off phenomenal inner perfume and sweetness in a deceptively understated style that is immensely appealing. A seriously long, intense finish rounds things out in style. The 2010 is notable for a level of finesse that isn't always a signature of this wine.

vinous93

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Good bright red. More deeply pitched on the nose than the Echezeaux, conveying wilder scents of red berries, coffee, soy sauce and smoke. Broader and less showy today, displaying a more obvious soil component initially, With aeration, notes of raspberry and strawberry emerged. Today this comes across as more pliant and less taut than the Echezeaux, and it's not clear that it has more density or length. De Villaine notes that the average age of vines here is lower at 35 years and that the final blend includes some fruit from 12-year-old vines.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Deep, bright red. Slightly high-toned, liqueur-like sweet cherry aroma perked up by brisk minerality. Quite ripe but reticent in the mouth, with the slightly high-toned quality carrying through. Comes across as firmer and more minerally than the Echezeaux.