WTN: 1996 Echézeaux Grand Cru Emmanuel Rouget Côte de Nuit Burgundy France.

1996 Echézeaux Grand Cru Emmanuel Rouget Côte de Nuit Burgundy France. 13.5% alcohol. Imported by Wine Cellars Ltd. Briarcliffe Manor NY. Price not recorded.

What a lovely wine! And drinking beautifully last May on a very special occasion. [JFTHOI night.] Dark ruby red color, deep hue, incredible aromas of roses, lilies, cherries, earth and perhaps mushrooms, complex berry, cherry, chocolate, coffee, earth and mushroom tastes, medium mouth feel, lovely acidity beautifully balanced, long, complex finish. A wonderful sense of purity -- and one of the reasons I'm sure Burgundy lovers love Burgundy. 5*.

Worked wonderfully well with a hodgepodge of vegetables in a stew with mushrooms leading the pack. Worked wonderfully well for an hour after dinner. A great JFTHOI wine.

Regards, Bob

Bob,

Thanks for the note. Sounds like a keeper. I've got a '96 Domaine Dujac Echezeaux. Any thoughts on the ability of the wine to hold out until my 25th anniversary in 2011?

This one would easily last five or more years in my opinion, Sam.

I'm certainly no expert in aging Burgundies, but here's some confirmation of my opinion:


Rated - 92-94/100 Wine Advocate- Pierre Rovani

Wine Advocate- Pierre Rovani: This bright, dark ruby-colored wine is superb. Rose, violet, lily, perfume, cherry, blackberry, and earth aromas lead to a full-bodied, velvety-textured, and immensely refined wine. This feminine, yet powerful beauty is magnificently proportioned, balanced, and reveals creamy blackberries, candied cherries, and hints of chocolate in its complex, concentrated and pure personality. Its immensely long finish reveals a firm backbone. Drink this great wine between 2003 and 2010+.

I'm certainly no expert in aging Burgundies, but here's some confirmation of my opinion:


Rated - 92-94/100 Wine Advocate- Pierre Rovani

Wine Advocate- Pierre Rovani: This bright, dark ruby-colored wine is superb. Rose, violet, lily, perfume, cherry, blackberry, and earth aromas lead to a full-bodied, velvety-textured, and immensely refined wine. This feminine, yet powerful beauty is magnificently proportioned, balanced, and reveals creamy blackberries, candied cherries, and hints of chocolate in its complex, concentrated and pure personality. Its immensely long finish reveals a firm backbone. Drink this great wine between 2003 and 2010+.

I'm no expert either but doesn't that window look a bit conservative for a 96 Grand Cru? Considering the fact that many have still been difficult to drink up to this very moment?

Although I will admit I do not know the particular wine in question.

[David M. Bueker]

I've found a few '96s rounding into form lately (Maume, Hudellot-Noellat), so it's not beyond the pale in my experience.

Interesting to have two Echézeaux on the front page right now, both showing the breed of this "lesser" Grand Cru.