Grands-Echézeaux
Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Situated above the Clos Vougeot, Grands-Echézeaux is one of two Grands Crus within the commune of Flagey-Echézeaux in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits – the other being Echézeaux. Despite its ‘grand’ prefix, this 9.1ha climat just north of the village of Vosne-Romanée is actually considerably smaller than Echézeaux and its wines typically command a higher price.
The terroir of Grands-Echézeaux is strikingly homogenous when compared with its Flagey neighbour: east-facing gentle slopes with vines planted on pebbly clay-limestone topsoil over fossiliferous limestone subsoil. This terroir produces densely concentrated Pinot Noirs with fresh acidity and fine yet firm tannic structure in youth. Typically Grands-Echézeaux wines possess extraordinary ageing potential, requiring at least four or five years of bottle maturation before they become approachable. The best examples, not least those of the legendary DRC, are among the finest and most sought-after Pinot Noirs in the world.
