2021 Echézeaux Grand Cru

Marie-Andrée Nauleau-Mugneret is on hand to guide me through the sublime 2021s from this cherished producer in Vosne-Romanée. “The problem was the winter frost from 6 April,” she explains. “We didn’t put any candles in the vines as we were not ready, and then when we heard the forecasted temperatures, it was like having one candle to warm a living room. We have previously used a wind turbine that can work at -1° Celsius, but it was pointless in 2021. Afterward, we had some rain and lower temperatures in spring and summer, then the harvest was later than usual, starting on 24 September, and we picked over the following six days. We quickly understood it would be a normal colour [paler] of Pinot Noir and with normal degrees of alcohol between 12.0% and 12.56%. That is comparable with the 1980s and 1990s. The vinification had no setbacks. Everything is de-stemmed except the Les Chaignots, as it was difficult to estimate the volume of the grapes. When we filled the vat, we didn’t have enough volume, so we added stems, just as we did for the Echézeaux in 2016. At the end, that cuvée is 15% whole clusters. The Echézeaux was de-stemmed as the ripeness of the stems was not so good.” The 2021s are utterly refined and pure, quintessential Pinot Noirs that will give much joy to those fortunate few who receive allocations, which will be whittled down. The gem here is a spine-tingling Clos de Vougeot that pips the Ruchottes-Chambertin this year, while the Chambolle Fuesselottes is about as good as it comes.