2015 Echezeaux, Grand Cru, Domaine François Lamarche, Burgundy
Critics reviews
Bright medium deep purple. A touch of oak on the nose, and medium depth of fruit shows at the outset but then greater density – along with the oak. Very intense a lot of wood but there is wine enough to match.
Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy (September 2018)
From the climats of Les Rouges du Bas, Les Cruots and Clos St. Denis
The wood is more prominent and it presently is strong enough to fight somewhat with the otherwise pretty and overtly spicy aromas of red currant, cherry and lavender. The supple and seductively textured medium-bodied flavours, like several of the wines in the range, immediately tighten up on the balanced and sneaky persistent finish that really fans out as it sits on the palate.
Drink from 2027 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2017)
The 2015 Echézeaux Grand Cru displays a thick veneer of new oak on the nose that obscures the terroir expression at the moment. There is also a touch of reduction. The palate is medium-bodied with gritty tannin, masculine and obdurate, grippy but lacking a countervailing grace. Perhaps that grace will return with bottle age, but I am not as optimistic as I was when tasting from barrel. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.
Drink 2022 - 2035
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (November 2018)
Domaine Lamarche's 2015 Echezeaux Grand Cru opens in the glass with notes of red fruits, soil, cedar and candied peel. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied and satiny, with sappy acids, good depth at the core and creditable length on the finish. The domaine's ethereal style is more effectively realized in this Echezeaux than in any of the premiers crus which preceded it.
Drink 2020 - 2035
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (April 2018)
Powerful black-pepper aroma (unusual in Burgundy) with a drying finish. I think the Chaumes is probably better value.
Drink 2028 - 2045
Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com (January 2017)
About this WINE
Domaine Nicole Lamarche
The division of vineyards with Nicole's cousin Natalie is now complete, and Nicole now has under seven hectares, down from 11 hectares. The Malconsorts and Grands Echezeaux have gone but the monopole of La Grande Rue remains. Nicole Lamarche took over from her father, François, in 2006; from ’19, the domaine now carries her name.
Nicole’s style is one of a light touch; the wines aren’t deeply coloured and are sensually soft yet show wonderful intensity.
In the vineyard
Under her aegis, the vineyards have been converted to organic and biodynamic production, although certification isn’t sought. The vines are now trained higher, and leaf cover is retained. In the cellar, the barrel regime has been changed, both in the lower proportion of new oak used each year, and in the coopers that supply the barrels
In the winery
When asked for details of the winemaking process, Nicole remains steadfastly enigmatic: there’s no formula and every cuvée receives a customised élevage. However, there’s always a proportion of whole bunch on the top wines, usually around 30%.
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.
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Description
A deep pinky-purple colour with a flamboyant, heady yet still graceful nose, this wine combines delicacy and density. Very appealing. The fruit register is mostly raspberry and there is the requisite intricacy on the palate, perfect integration of acidity into the fruit, with low-key tannins behind. Very persistent.
The Lamarches began on 10th September, picking over six days and realising better yields than in 2014. This year Nicole Lamarche has been able to make exactly the wines which she wants to make, avoiding deep extraction while using around 30 percent whole bunches. Do not expect dark colours and overt concentration, but if your taste is for elegant, floral, eventually ethereal wines then this is the place to be.
Drink 2023 - 2033
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