2008 Echezeaux
By Domaine Emmanuel Rouget
2008 Echezeaux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget, Burgundy, France
The 2008 vintage in Burgundy was, by all accounts, a challenging year. A season marked by cool temperatures and wet conditions threatened to dampen the prospects of the region's vintners. Yet, it is precisely in such trials that the adeptness of Domaine Emmanuel Rouget came to the fore, resulting in a compelling 2008 Echezeaux that defies the odds.
A Vintage Defined by Precision and Patience
In this particular harvest, meticulous vineyard management and stringent selection were paramount. The 2008 Echezeaux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget speaks volumes of the team's dedication. This wine radiates a finesse and structure emblematic of Echezeaux's grandeur while subscribing to the vintage's hallmark freshness.
The Nuances of Nature
The cooler climes of 2008 naturally sculpted this wine with an elevated acidity, noticeably refining its fruit profile and enhancing its longevity. One can discern a vibrant tapestry of red berries and currants interwoven with hints of damp earth and subtle spice. The palate is elegantly layered; every taste revealing whispers of what both the terroir and that peculiar season had to whisper.
The tannins are refined yet present, offering a reminder of the potential this 2008 Echezeaux possesses for further evolution in a collector's cellar. It is a testament to the winemaker's craft that this offering rises not only to meet but to transcend the expectations set by the vicissitudes of nature.
The insights gathered from investing in fine wines often parallel the subtleties found within their bottles. The 2008 Echezeaux from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget exemplifies such complexity, hinting at an undercurrent of resilience amid delicate vintages. A wine with both a story and potential for growth within any fine wine investor's portfolio.
Market price (HKD)
HK$150,550.00
12x75cl
Highest score
92
POP score
1312.5
Scores and tasting notes
Candied cherry, marzipan, kirsch, and cinnamon on the nose of Rouget’s 2008 Echezeaux carry over into a palate at once obviously structured and sweetly ripe, with a steady flow of cherry and black raspberry as well as soothing glycerin (despite the wine’s modest – circa 13% – alcohol). Both smoked and roasted meat flavors lend depth, and this lingers with a terrific balance of freshness and sweetness, fine-grained tannin and glyceral richness. It deserves at least 4-5 years in bottle to develop almost inevitable further complexity and should be worth following for at least a dozen years. I tasted Emmanuel Rouget’s 2008s from barrel in April and he was planning to bottle them within a month. According to one of Rouget’s favorite descriptors, the vintage was “tres particulaire,” not to mention challenging. “I harvested at an average of 12%” potential alcohol, he reports, “and chaptalized less than a degree. That sufficed. It was more important to harvest while there was still good weather and besides, it was already cold. There was a lot of acidity, but that conveys a superb equilibrium and level of freshness. The wines really exhibit the plenitude of Pinot.” Rouget rejects what he acknowledges is a widespread comparison of 2008 with 1996, suggesting that the latter “was more marked by sunshine, and resulted in less-noticeable acidity.” (As noted in the introduction to this report, he compares 2008 with 1986.) Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2010