2010 Echezeaux

Yves Bizot’s 2010 Echézeaux Grand Cru fails to live up to the hype. I am led to believe that Bizot crafts far superior wines these days. Nevertheless, for the princely sum one pays these days, the 2010 has a nose that is subjugated by the oak barrel, obscuring all sense of terroir. The palate is actually better, with decent balance, black rather than red fruit and hints of brown spice, but again, the oak seems to be fumbled in the winery and renders the finish generic.

A slightly riper and notably more complex nose of red currant, black cherry, cassis, spice and once again, an abundance of floral notes marries into rich, round and impressively concentrated big-bodied flavors that possess dry extract levels that buffer the firm yet ripe tannins on the seductively textured and mouth coating finish. 92-94