2008 Maison Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echézeaux Grand Cru

Medium red. Pungent, highly expressive aromas of raspberry, blood orange, flowers and spices; exotic in the context of this classic vintage. Juicy, sweet and gripping on the palate, with a weightless, delicate quality to the sharply delineated flavors of raspberry, orange peel and minerals. Really effortless, classy wine, conveying an impression of extract without extraction. Finishes with suave tannins and impressive subtle persistence. A beauty.

Ginger, cardamom, smoked meats, grenadine, anise, and an amalgam of red and black raspberry preserves characterize the multifaceted nose and dense yet vivacious palate of Drouhin’s 2008 Grands Echezeaux. Not the most elegant of grand crus, it certainly can boast sheer intensity and grip, its pungent finishing spice invigorating, even as the carpet of fine tannin it lays down helps convince me of its potential for 12-15 years of interesting bottle evolution. “2008 was very slow in doing its malolactic – which was good, and ended up with a pretty lively impression of acidity” remarked Veronique Boss-Drouhin, “and I think the wines will be slow to evolve in bottle, as well.” Numerous cuvees were still in tank or barrel when I visited in March, which constitutes an unusually late schedule at this address. The 2007s, by contrast, were bottled even earlier than normal, most at age 12 months. In 2008, a 15-25% share of stems and whole clusters was included in the fermenting vat for the Clos des Mouches and for most of the Drouhin grand crus, whereas in 2007 that degree of vendange entier was practically the rule across the entire Drouhin range (by no means all of which I tasted). Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770

(vinified with 25% whole clusters) Good medium red. Pungent aromas of raspberry, spices, pepper, minerals and flowers. At once dense and refreshing, with a strong spice element carrying through to the very long, firmly tannic finish. Wonderfully juicy, filigree wine.