December 25, 2020 - Dark but still transparent ruby. On the nose, the medium register is dominated by cranberries and orange peel. The earlier reported 2004 greenies have evolved into higher notes of lavender, cumin, ginger bread, and wet earth. The palate is fresh and silky; in beautiful homogeneity with the nose, it is dominated by juicy cranberries, before a long finish with notes of slightly astringent fresh almonds, ginger bread, and orange duck terrine. Certainly a refined wine, though to my taste not a sensual one. (Wild card pairing: try this with Epoisses—the synergy recreates a fine foie gras.) 92-93
April 27, 2020 - lovely true Burgundian nose. Nice palate - tannin a little firm with tinge of bitterness on the finish initially - after 30 min in glass, this disappears. Plenty of fruit left but also showing secondary characteristics. Quite lovely. No greenies. 91-92. Perhaps I'd rate it higher if I had it blind and didn't know it was Grand Cru.
November 10, 2018 - During a la Paulee lunch, so only brief impressions. The lady who brought this happily walked around and pored it to everyone, was she the only one who did not realize it was corked or did she just want to get rid of it...
October 17, 2012 - A&F's Post-Confinement Party (Asia Grand, Odeon Towers): This was yet another excellent wine. From first pour, it was literally bursting out of the glass with perfumy scents of violet flowers, orange peel, and bright red fruit underlined by a light streak of mineral scents. Almost Chambolle-like in the lacy prettiness of its aromas. Only a tiny touch of sweet Chinese herbs at the edges would have hinted at the 2004 vintage, and I certainly did not notice it when the wine was blind. The palate continued on the Chambolle-like theme, so much so that I thought it may have been a Les Amoureuses at first. Rather lighter than one would expect from a Grands-Echezeaux, this wine seemed to be more about filigree and finesse with its bright, juicy red fruit flavours notes seasoned with touches of mineral, herb and spice and, of course, more of the flowery notes picked up on the nose. While not the most complex at this stage, it was absolutely delicious, glowing with a pure, transparent feel. It was only at the powerful finish where the Grands-Echezeaux character came out more, pushing into back-palate with earthy, meaty nuances. I thought it fell just a little short at the very end, surprising given the power and depth up to this point really, but where the body of the wine faded away, it still lingered with a sweet residual glow and a touch of minerality. A delicious wine, and one that should hit its peak drinking window relatively soon - try again in a couple of years.
October 17, 2012 - Very nice expressive floral sweet nose with ripe strawberries and a field of red flowers. Superb wine with balance and adorable enjoyable fruits. Really nothing green about this wine. On the contrary this shows some puppy fat with it's sweet fruits. In fact I would have called it a likable 01 vintage or a strong 02. Delicious wine.
May 25, 2009 - I think one’s impression of this wine would depend on what one’s sensitivity to the green quality of the 2004 red Burgs. There is a slight veneer of greenness and a savory quality to the fruit. It is not a sappy wine and there, at this point, is an element of toughness to it. However, the overall impression is that this is pretty good. There is enough fruit, sweetness, minerality and earthiness to come off as being true to the site and a good Pinot Noir. I would expect that given some more time the structure will relax enough that this offers a suppleness that will enhance the positive characteristics of this bottling. However, if one has a distinct sensitivity to the green meanies this will likely be too off-putting to be considered anything more than an example of what they don’t like about the 2004s.
March 19, 2007 - Decanted for 2 hours. Darker than I expected- Very angry nose at first; a hint of pepper, and a wall of acid.
It settled down a lot and the nose had dark red fruits and tons of violet and minerals. The plate has a lot going on- great energy, lots of structure, some pepper and a hint of the 2004 green character- nothing overwhelming or negative- I thought it added good complexity. Won't open another one for 5-6 years.