2009 Domaine d'Eugenie Echezeaux Grand Cru

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Note: from a .55 ha parcel in the En Orveaux climat with vines planted in 1924 and 1979; 7 barrels produced in 2009.

Producer note: Château Latour President Frédéric Engerer also directs the new Domaine Eugénie along with his second in command, régisseur Michel Mallard. As is typically the case, I saw both Engerer and Mallard who told me that 2009 "began with a very cold winter where January temperatures dropped to the 10° F range. The early part of the growing season passed very well with a good flowering on the more precocious parcels though in some of the later ripening parcels, cooler weather contributed to the development of shot berries. Véraison occurred in the second half of July and with the dry heat that followed in August and September, the fruit reached excellent maturity. We began picking on the 14th of September and finished on the 17th and brought in a very clean and ripe crop. As to the wines, they should provide much pleasure young but also be capable of aging well. They are quite rich with silky textures and refined tannins." I was also told that the parcels of Clos d'Eugénie and Brûlées have been converted to biodynamic farming. As to the now in-bottle '08s, the wines have turned out almost exactly as originally previewed and are really quite impressive. The Eugénie '09s are also seriously impressive wines and if you haven't yet tried an example from either '07 or '08, I would highly recommend them.

Tasting note: This is also exceptionally fresh with a highly aromatic nose that speaks of spicy black cherry, cassis and warm earth aromas that complement the velvety, rich and solidly delineated flavors that possess excellent power, depth and persistence on the superbly long and deep finish where a note of mocha can be detected. This is an incredibly impressive effort that should amply reward long-term cellaring yet be approachable young too if desired.
Tasted: Jan 10, 2012 Score: 94 Drink: 2021+.
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