Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2012

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2012 Grands Echézeaux was picked on September 22, 24 and 25, at 27 hectoliters per hectare. Compared to the Echézeaux the nose is more demure, perhaps more refined, does not feel the urge to "put it all out" as it were. Reticent is the word - yet the precision and delineation is undeniable. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannin, here a mixture of red and black fruit, a little broodier and more introspective than its "cousin" but with greater persistence in the mouth. It unfurls on the finish: hints of dry tobacco and cedar, leaving you with the impression of a "masculine" Grands Echézeaux, one built for the long haul. 987 cases produced.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2012 Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru was picked over three days from September 23 to 25. It is broodier on the bouquet compared to its “little brother,” but it boasts astonishing delineation, the fruit a little blacker with a mineral, marine-influenced undertow. The palate is suffused with incredible energy from start to finish. Armed with breath-taking delineation and ethereal balance, this just soars in the mouth, constituting a riveting Grands Echezeaux in the making. Aubert de Villaine was traveling the Far East when I visited the domaine’s relocated offices that lie in the shadow of the church in the main square in Vosne. And so cellar-master Bernard Noblet, distinctive with his hulking frame, escorted me through barrel samples of their 2012. Not everything was available for me to taste. Their Montrachet was damaged by hail and consequently there is less than half the usual crop, and Bernard was adamant that the Corton was not in representative condition. Incidentally, there is no Cuvee Duvault-Blochet in 2012, as one would expect in such a small volume crop. The domaine gave me a summary of this infamous growing season that essentially repeated the remarks of other growers, but expressed in Aubert’s poetic, allegorical fashion, my favorite sentence: “The vigneron’s intervention is quiet and rare, as that of the crew of a sailboat navigating calm weather.” Of course, the domaine, especially vineyard manager Nicolas Jacob, was not spared the choppy waters of the tumultuous season that threatened to capsize many of the region’s finest vignerons. The estate’s biodynamic principles meant that applying the preparations and treatments proved challenging when one day out of every three was rainy. The harvest commenced on September 21 in Corton and finished nine days later in Echezeaux, the secateurs put back into their sheaths when the heavens opened on September 25 and 26. Yields are recorded at 20 hectoliters per hectare, which is approximately 25% less than usual. That said, upon entering the reception area I was confronted with what appeared to be the entire allocation for the United States shrink-wrapped on towering pallets. You have to remember that this is for one of the largest countries in the world. These barrel samples are rather academic. These wines are not available for another year and readers will find bottled reviews, which I have written every February since 1998, more relevant since the wines will be finished and ready for sale. However, I decided to publish these notes so that they can be juxtaposed against their peers and my remarks in 12 months time. One point that I found interesting was the more prudent use of stems, logical when you consider that the lack of sunshine in the early part of the season would mean not all stems would have been fully lignified. Therefore, the pickers had to patiently wait until the berries were fully ripe. You do not need me to tell you that their 2012s are variations upon “spellbinding” and will doubtless cost a pretty penny. Truth is, there are cheaper alternatives out there, many of which I have praised in my recent report. There is only one thing – they are not Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661 and through Corney & Barrow (UK).

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2012 Grands-Échézeaux is quite dark and somber in 2012. Powerful tannins give the Grands-Échézeaux much of its verticality and pure power. Dark cherry, plum, spices and a host of mentholated, balsamic notes are woven throughout. The 2012 is built for the long haul, that much is obvious. I wouldn't plan on opening a bottle any time soon. I very much like the wine's sense of energy.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

The 2012 Grands-Échézeaux comes across as floral, silky and quite restrained. Sweet spices, rose petal and red berries all take shape in the glass. The 2012 is a refined and reserved Grands-Échézeaux that needs time to fully come together. Today it is embryonic.

vinous93

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Bright, full red. Aromas of red cherry, raspberry, clove, minerals and flowers are more refined than those of the Echézeaux. More velvety and plush than the Echézeaux but also sappy, minerally and taut, with red berry and spice flavors complicated by floral and saline elements. A very deep Grands-Echézeaux with a powerful structure and a long, subtly complex aftertaste

vinous95

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Bright red-ruby. Musky aroma of black raspberry, minerals and roasted herbs; smells thick! Dense, chewy and tactile on the palate, but with excellent lift to the flavors of dark plum, mocha and saline minerality. Most impressive today on the explosive, mounting finish. Boasts an uncanny combination of thickness and balance.