1998 Echézeaux Grand Cru

Nineteen ninety-eight brought fruit with healthy pHs and grape sugars in the 11% to 12% range, according to export director Christophe Voisin. About 7%-8% of the fruit was eliminated at the harvest, said Voisin, with underripe grapes more of a problem than rot. "As a rule, sugars were higher in Nuits-Saint-Georges than in Gevrey-Chambertin, though yields were almost normal in Nuits while couleur held down crop levels in several sites in Gevrey, especially Mazis-Chambertin and Clos de Beze," he added. Cuvaisons lasted 27 to 30 days, a bit longer than usual. Faiveley punched down the caps twice daily during the fermentation to extract color quickly and to get enough middle-palate richness to balance the tannins of the vintage. "In '97, the richness came more quickly," noted Voisin.