2015 Echézeaux Grand Cru

As is his normal habit, Philippe Charlopin was a late harvester in 2015, starting on September 16 and making his wines without any chaptalization. Beginning with his village cuvées, his vinified with about 30% whole clusters as he felt the need “to give the wines more tension.” Charlopin produced 40 to 45 hectoliters per hectare in 2015, which he described as a good crop. The malos did not finish until the summer of 2016, and none of the wines had yet been racked at the time of my November tasting. I should note that all of my samples were pulled from new barrels, so my notes may not be representative of the final blends, which will include 30% new oak for the premier crus and 50% for the grand crus. Charlopin, incidentally, compares his young 2015s to the 1978s.