2006 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Echézeaux Grand Cru

The 2006 Echézeaux Grand Cru, the maiden vintage, has a simple bouquet with fully mature scents of leather, musk and pain grillé , the oak a bit too present even after almost two decades. The palate is medium-bodied and fleshy with supple tannins and gentle grip, pleasurable but missing the cerebral aspect that Louis-Michel has introduced in recent years, partly by changing the oak regime. A solid opening, even if after almost two decades I wager that it will not improve in bottle.

Tasted at the Comte Liger-Belair vertical at the Château de Vosne. The 2006 Echézeaux Grand Cru has a slightly rustic, bucolic bouquet with mushroom and sous-bois scents infusing the red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, mature with melted tannin and good weight. Perhaps what is missing is the tension and mineral nature of this growth, the finish content to deliver premier rather than grand cru quality unlike subsequent vintages. Tasted June 2015.

(from a magnum opened at the Domaine). A highly expressive, dense and notably spicy black berry liqueur-infused nose that is really quite densely fruited. There is a fine sense of concentration to the delicious, serious and palate staining medium full-bodied flavors that possess plenty of sap that completely buffer the now relatively supple tannins on the gorgeously long finish. Somewhat surprisingly for a magnum from 2006 this is relativley supple and while the nose is still completely primary, this could be drunk now with ample pleasure.