2000 Echézeaux Grand Cru

The lesser 2001s here struck me as somewhat dry and minty, lacking pliancy and sweetness, but Faiveley's top cuvees despite being austere today, appear to have the stuffing and structure to develop well in bottle. That said, I also found a few of the estate's 2000s rather dry on the back and only moderately ripe, especially cuvees that do not specifically carry the "unfiltered" sticker on the bottle. Francois Faiveley generally picks for sound acidity, rather than waiting longer for higher sugars.

Francois Faiveley, who was recovering from surgery on his lower back, described his 2000s as "a vintage good to drink over the next eight to ten years, more pleasant and elegant in its youth than either '99 or '98." The key was to control quantity, he added. Even with severe pruning, it was possible to get an enormous crop that lacked concentration, as the grapes tended to be swelled by rain. Faiveley noted that fruit from his own vines was much better than the fruit he buys, owing to the green harvest the house carried out in July. "The extent of rot and the size of the berries were critical in 2000," noted Faiveley. Faiveley tends to pick early in hopes of retaining acidity. "We need to preserve the spine of the wine," he explained. "We can always add sugar if we need it." Still, in November a few of the 2000s gave the impression of having been picked before optimum ripeness.