2012 Echezeaux, Grand Cru, Domaine Vigot Fabrice, Burgundy

Domaine Vigot

This tiny wine domaine based in Vosne-Romanée combines Fabrice Vigot’s own holdings, those from his wife’s family and some share-cropping arrangements with Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg, including the Grand Cru Echezeaux.

Until the summer of August 2009 there were two domaines, Mugneret-Gibourg and Dr Georges Mugneret. The former was created in 1933 following the marriage of André Mugneret, from an old Vosne-Romanée family, and Jeanne Gibourg in 1928. Their son, Dr Georges Mugneret purchased further vineyards using a label in his own name. The Mugneret-Gibourg vines were looked after by sharecroppers, which remains the case today in the hands of Fabrice Vigot and Pascal Mugneret. The Dr Georges Mugneret vines are exploited directly.

Échezeaux

Located in the commune of Flagey-Échezeaux, just south of the village of Vosne-Romanée in the Côte de Nuits, Échezeaux is a grand cru vineyard, producing some of the finest red wines in the world.

The terroir is varied, with different climats having diverse soil compositions and microclimates. The soils comprise limestone, clay, and gravel, contributing to the wines’ complexity and character. The variations in terroir result in wines with distinct nuances and expressions.

The wines are exclusively made from Pinot Noir grapes and are known for their depth, richness, and complexity, often exhibiting aromas of red and dark fruits, spices, earth, and floral notes. These can age gracefully for many years, developing more intricate flavors and textures with time.

Many esteemed and well-known wine producers have vineyard holdings in Échezeaux, contributing to the region’s reputation. Some of the most prestigious producers craft exceptional wines from this grand cru vineyard. Due to its Grand Cru status, however, the wines can be relatively rare with the combination of high demand and limited availability, making them highly sought-after amongst collectors.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.

The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.