1996 Echezeaux

Now at 20 years of age, the 1996 Echezeaux Grand Cru from Emmanuel Rouget is vindicating the plaudits that praised this wine on release. It is just a great Pinot Noir. Deep in hue, it is surprisingly backward and youthful on the nose, tightly wound with black fruit, cranberry and violets. Echézeaux-cum-Margaux perhaps! The palate is medium-bodied and very well balanced, quite sturdy in backbone as is common with many 1996s, stocky like Emmanuel with an almost sorbet-fresh, vivacious finish that beckons you back for another sip. It would not surprise me if at 30 years of age it warrants an even higher score. This is superb. Tasted June 2016.

This bright, dark ruby-colored wine is superb. Rose, violet, lily, perfume, cherry, blackberry, and earth aromas lead to a full-bodied, velvety-textured, and immensely refined wine. This feminine, yet powerful beauty is magnificently proportioned, balanced, and reveals creamy blackberries, candied cherries, and hints of chocolate in its complex, concentrated and pure personality. Its immensely long finish reveals a firm backbone. Drink this great wine between 2003 and 2010+. Importer: Martine's Wines, San Raphael, CA; tel. (415) 485-1800.

This bright, dark ruby-colored wine is superb. Rose, violet, lily, perfume, cherry, blackberry, and earth aromas lead to a full-bodied, velvety-textured, and immensely refined wine. This feminine, yet powerful beauty is magnificently proportioned, balanced, and reveals creamy blackberries, candied cherries, and hints of chocolate in its complex, concentrated and pure personality. Its immensely long finish reveals a firm backbone. Drink this great wine between 2003 and 2010+. Wine Advocate.August, 1998