2009 Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg Echézeaux Grand Cru

The 2009 Echezeaux comes across as rich, powerful and totally seductive. It shows considerable richness and depth in a more immediate style than the 2010. The aromatics and nuance of the 2010 are missing, but in exchange readers will find a deep, fleshy wine that will deliver considerable pleasure with minimum cellaring. I especially like the intensity of the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2034. Sisters Marie-Andree and Marie-Christine Mugneret made some of the very best wines of the year. Their 2009s capture the silky, sexy personality of the vintage while maintaining a classic, mid-weight sense of structure. Importers: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300, a Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93

Good bright red. Deep currant, red cherry, rose petal, spices, dried flowers and licorice on the nose, with some complicating earthy nuances. Sweet, broad and mouth-saturating, with currant and cherry fruit flavors complicated by dried flowers, ginger and licorice. Finishes very long, with substantial dusty tannins and a suggestion of tamarind. The Mugnerets' Echezeaux comes from three different parcels, with their vines in Quartier de Nuits, on the eastern side of the appellation, giving this wine its relatively easy style for grand cru.

Good dark red. Very pretty, expressive aromas of redcurrant, rose petal and smoky, flinty minerality. Spicy and peppery but a bit youthfully clenched in spite of its silky, seamless texture. A peppery quality gives this a taut finish and shocking vibrancy. Not particularly fleshy today, but juicy, scented and very long.