Joseph Drouhin Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru 2014

TAST­ING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

This Grand Cru Côte de Nuits red wine from Bur­gundy is ded­i­cat­ed­ly mon­i­tored through­out the wine­mak­ing process to ensure its pre­mi­um qual­i­ty. The fla­vor of this wine is much affect­ed by the pre­co­cious­ness of the 2014 har­vest, with grapes ripen­ing faster than nor­mal, lead­ing to a har­vest two weeks ahead of sched­ule. The ear­ly aro­mat­ic notes of cher­ries and dark choco­late in this wine give way to nuances of under­growth, truf­fles, and fine leather with a hint of cedar­wood. The wine is deep red in col­or, almost pur­ple, and its tan­nins are refined and vel­vety, with a long-lin­ger­ing mouthfeel.

PAIR­INGS

This Grand Cru Bur­gundy pairs well with aged cheeses, but we like to bring par­tic­u­lar atten­tion to soft, fruity, cow’s milk ones like the Cîteaux cheese, made in the same abbey that once owned and oper­at­ed the Grands-Échezeaux vine­yard. For the rest of your meal, this wine will car­ry you through either prime cuts of filet mignon or game birds and venison.

A LIT­TLE COMPETITION

The Côte de Nuits is the exclu­sive domain of the Pinot Noir, where the puri­ty of the grape is leg­endary. Here, the com­pe­ti­tion between vine­yards has always been fierce — espe­cial­ly, once upon a time, among mem­bers of the nobil­i­ty and papa­cy. Grands-Échezeaux is not exempt from this his­to­ry of one-upman­ship. The monks of Cîteaux, who already owned the vine­yard of Clos Vougeot, made sev­er­al attempts to acquire the famed Musigny vine­yards right across the wall. Thwart­ed, they turned their atten­tions to the Grands-Échezeaux and cul­ti­vat­ed it as a rival to the Musigny vine­yard. One can be cer­tain that each and every wine from the Côte de Nuits is triply excel­lent because of the region’s sto­ried reputation.

Storage Instructions

It’s best to store unopened red wines in a cool, dry, and dark place safe from con­stant vibra­tion. Keep your bot­tle hor­i­zon­tal in a wine rack or cel­lar to retain the moist­ness of the cork. The ide­al tem­per­a­ture for stor­age is between 16 to 18°C.