The 2008 Grands-Echezeaux is a stunningly beautiful wine. Exotic notes of star anise, fennel, hard candy and orange peel meld into a deep core of expressive fruit. The 2008 Grands-Echezeaux is powerful from start to finish, with endless layers of flavor that grow in the glass. It is a spherical, multi-dimensional Burgundy in need of at least a few years in the cellar, perhaps quite a few. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2038. tasted the 2008s in bottle in late June 2011 after having gone through the 2010s from barrel. Aubert de Villaine describes 2008 as a difficult vintage with a lot of rain. Botrytis was an issue and the vineyards required constant attention. On September 14 the weather changed dramatically. A steady north wind dried out the grapes and concentrated sugars quickly, which also reduced the size of the berries. A further selection of fruit lowered yields to an even greater extent, resulting in overall production that is as much as 50% lower than normal for the Domaine. As for the wines, they are magnificent in my view, but will require considerable patience. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

Starts out with aromas of red currant, black cherry and licorice, keeping with the black fruit notes on the palate, along with spice, wrapped in a seamless profile. A wine of great finesse, its black fruit and licorice themes have more in common with La Tache than neighboring Echézeaux.—Non-blind 2008 DRC tasting (February 2011). Best from 2014 through 2035.??–BS??Region: France / Burgundy / Grands Echézeaux Select to Add