1995 Echézeaux Grand Cru

Despite the relatively high crop levels of 1996, Regis Forey admires the balance of this vintage. Beginning with healthy material but fearing the possibility of slight dilution, Forey did a long cuvaison and more pigeage than usual to get a bit more extraction of tannins. Forey was a bit less enthusiastic about '95, describing the wines as more confiture or jammy, yet with a hint of greenness, and best suited for mid-term drinking, like the '85s. He had no idea what the pHs of the finished '95s were, but guessed that they were higher than normal. The samples of '95 I tasted in Forey cellar were 375 ml. bottles, and all showed varying degrees of cooked character, verging on oxidation. But, based on a bottle of Gaudichots I opened in New York in January, I am confident that the 750 ml. bottles shipped to America are at least slightly fresher.